Fate's Destiny
by Disgruntled Minion
Summary: AU: Naruto never believed in fate, unfortunately it will take a run in with a man who holds his destiny in his hands to make him realize the truth. Who knew fate could be a guy; one who goes by the name of Itachi.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto, nor do I make any profits from this writing.

**Warnings**: Minor amounts of foul language

**Beta**-**ed **by Akiru chan

* * *

'_Fate is a cruel mistress; she controls the strings of the universe and ties us to one another. From her body radiates millions of strings that connect us to her, making it impossible to escape her cruel grasp. We are helpless to her dance as she plays the universe for us and we move in a circle around her; begging to be her dance partner. And when she takes us into her hands, she leads us around the floor, making it seem as though everything is right with our lives. Until she lets go and we are left spinning dangerously at the edge of humanity, connected to her by a thin string that grows taunt as we fall. She controls the dance and when she brings her hand down on that thread, we fall. Our link is severed and we die at her hands. Tell me mistress; do you not see what you do? For when my string is cut, it makes several others slack, thus making even more slack, to the point that one death can cause a ripple in your web. Do you enjoy seeing us dance to your tune, as though we are your puppets?'_

The numerous voices chanted in unison as overhead a blood red moon hovered in the sky directly above them. White candles lined the stone pillars, their flames flickered in the almost nonexistent breeze, sending shadows dancing along the trees and ground, making it seem as though demon figures crawled on the dirt floor. With the exception of the candles and dark moon, no other light was existent, leaving everything to the dark.

Robed figures circled the chanting figures as they made their way into the inner circle where a white marble alter stood. The black cloth that made up the fabric of the robes made them blend in with the night and made it harder to see the eyes that glowed under the hoods. They glided over the dirt floor, making it look as though their feet never touched the ground and seemed to give them a higher status within the ranks.

Once they reached the alter, they stood behind it and all the voices stopped. Silence settled over the area as the head figure looked out over the robe-wearing crowd. Overhead, the breeze blew slightly, kicking up the dirt and sending it spiraling across freshly polished shoes. A hand rose and then everything seemed to stop moving.

"My brothers, my sisters; today is the day where we welcome Fate as she descends on the lands again and we invite those privileged few to join us in welcoming her. It is this day that Fate graces us with her flesh and blood and we ask her for her blessings. That we may be spared her cruel fate as she weaves her threads around us."

The hood was removed, revealing a male with pale skin and long, dark, brown hair. Light colored eyes scanned the area as they searched for any disbelievers in the crowd and after finding none, he held out his hand. To his right, one of the hooded members placed a tan colored scroll in his hands before backing away slowly.

"I, Grandmaster Neji Hyuuga do hereby recognize those members who have been deemed worthy of joining our ranks. Shino Aburame, Kabuto Yakushi, and our most important guest, our virgin sacrifice; Naruto Uzumaki."

Murmurs broke out among the group like a bubbling stream; it trickled through the ranks slowly at first before gathering strength as it moved down the line. The news that there was going to be a sacrifice this year made things more interesting and would only increase the chances that Fate would be gentle to them until the next season.

As the volume increased, Neji raised his hand for silence and the voices quieted down once again, leaving only the wind to whisper through the trees. "Our special guest doesn't know what will become of him tonight so we must exercise caution when dealing with him. With luck, Fate will enjoy the gift we leave her and will spare us her wrath." He paused to look around the area and raised his voice so the guards and members in the back could hear him, "Bring in the new recruits."

Like a silent wave, the existing members parted, allowing a straight but narrow path to the white alter. One guard moved through the narrow pathway, leading the way before three more guards followed, each escorting the new members. The males were blindfolded and they stumbled as they were led through the maze of people, putting complete trust in the members leading them. Once they reached the front alter, they were lined up in front of it and their guards slipped off into the night.

"Welcome honored recruits, to the Society of Fate. You three have been chosen to join our ranks tonight, on this sacred day when the moon turns red and Fate herself walks among the mortals. We, the members of this Society live by the predetermined course of events and believe that everything is based on a fixed natural order to the cosmos. We move to the hands of Fate and what she has planned for us and we are helpless to her."

The Grandmaster paused to light the three new candles that sat on the alter and watched as the red beeswax curled at the touch of the heat. A small scroll was set in front of each candle where flowing calligraphy detailed the laws and rules that dictated the Society. A wax seal was already imprinted on the left side of the paper when the Grandmaster had already signed his name, showing that he approved of these rules and the new recruits.

"Step forward as I read to you our beliefs; for if at any point you find that you don't believe in one, you will be removed immediately."

The three initiates stepped forward carefully, stopping only when their feet touched the edge of the alter. The blindfold around their eyes permitted them from seeing anything, but the woolen bag over their heads made it even harder to hear. Words mixed together as they flowed from the mouth of the Grandmaster while their own breathing in the bags made the words all the more muffled. It was the beginning of summer and even though it was the dead of night, the stifling heat was still there.

Sweat trickled down their backs as the itchy fabric made it only hotter and they wished only to shed the cloaks they wore. The small breeze that was moving around the area wasn't enough to cool them down and it only proved to tease them. Caressing their skin before vanishing as if it had never been there, leaving them hotter than they were before.

"When I call your name, your blindfold will be removed and you will sign your name before sealing the scroll. After you seal your scroll, you will be escorted away by your future brother who will mentor you for the next year until the next welcoming ceremony." The Grandmaster announced and his eyes settled on the three members who stepped forward so they could stand behind the soon to be members. "Shino please step forward."

The older member moved like a shadow behind the recruit and pulled the hood off a slightly damp head, due to the heat, before removing the blindfold. His eyes quickly settled on the paper and picked up the quill without any hesitation, signing his name in an elegant manner. Once the ink was dried, his brother moved to roll up the scroll and tipped the red candle into a small bowl where the wax quickly filled it up. He grabbed the recruits' wrist and placed his thumb in the still hot ink before pressing it against the paper. When he pulled away, a fresh seal in the form of a thumbprint was there.

"Welcome to our Society, Brother Shino."

The newest member bowed his head and allowed himself to be led away, leaving the shadowy maze behind. The last words he heard was for the next recruit to step forward before he was swallowed by the impending darkness.

Once the second member was lead away, the Grandmaster paused and nodded to the last waiting brother. He stepped forward to place a tight grip on the last incites shoulder and dipped his head back to the waiting leader. "Naruto Uzumaki, please step forward. You stand before us today, awaiting your fate; your destiny, not knowing what it holds for you, but knowing only that you can accept whatever comes."

The hood was removed harshly, followed by the blindfold and brilliant blue eyes fluttered open. They blinked a couple times as they adjusted to the dim lighting that seemed too bright after being in darkness for the past two hours. Blond hair fell in his face once the hood had been removed and now the locks settled around his face; slightly damp due to sweat. He shifted slightly, unsure what to do until a quill was directed into his hand.

He looked down at the parchment and gripped the quill. A small jar of red ink was sitting next to the paper and he dipped it in to wet the tip. It wasn't until a small drop fell to the yellow sheet that he realized it wasn't ink, but rather blood. Behind him, the other male shifted, seemingly growing impatient so he quickly scrawled his name and set the quill down. As soon as he did, a cold hand grasped his wrist and led his hand to another small bowl.

Without any warning, his thumb was pushed into the scalding hot liquid and he bit down on his lip quickly to prevent from screaming. His thumb was pressed into the scroll, sealing the end to the roll and leaving his skin raw when he pulled away. Once the scroll was placed in the older members hands, the Grandmaster turned to him; a smile barely visible under the hood.

"Welcome to the Society, Brother Naruto."

Almost instantly, he was pulled back as another blindfold was secured around his head and in his mouth. The blond started to thrash in the tight grip but it only served to harm him more as his arm was twisted painfully. Finally, he was settled and a strong hand yanked his head up as the Grandmaster stepped forward.

"It was your fate that you were brought here, Naruto," a hand came up and stroked his cheek gently. "You're very special to us, so we won't harm you, if that's what you're thinking. No, tonight Fate is human; flesh and blood, and she'll desire something pleasurable. You're a virgin, making you more delectable to her. What happens to you after she's done with you is uncertain, but know that it is a great honor for you."

He pulled back his hand as he leaned closer. "Now, sleep." With a hard thrust, he slammed his fist into the blonds' stomach, making him cough behind the gag. Lights danced in front of his eyes and if he hadn't been starved for the entire day; his legs wouldn't have given out on him. There were no last thoughts as he slumped against the body holding him and his mind was pleasantly blank.

Once the blond was knocked out, the brother holding him cradled him in his arms. The rest of the members were already gone, seeing as only those in the higher ranks would be able to see the inner sanction where the offerings to Fate were given.

The monthly meeting spot was located in front of the schools old art building. In the front was a complicated series of mazes that linked together to form one large style of artwork. But over the years, the grassy bushes had been left to disrepair, making the entrances hard to find and the exits even harder to escape from. Only those that were in the Society knew how to navigate the maze and make it out safely.

Behind the maze was the art building itself, which had turned into a storage building of sorts. Only the top most rooms were used to prevent damage from vandals while the ground floor held remnants from past showings. The whole first floor was devoid of any single rooms since it was meant to display the works of art to students and alumni, but now the only thing that remained were old benches and dust.

In the middle of the building was a hallowed section that the stairs wrapped around and allowed light to filter in from an above skylight. From the supporting beams above it hung several chains that once supported large mobiles that would glisten in the sunlight, but now, they only boasted old, decrepit chains.

"Hook him up here, the moon will be over him in fifteen minutes or so. That seems to be the most opportune time for Fate to show for him."

The brother nodded and grabbed the shackles that now hung from the chains. He wrapped them around the tanned wrists and adjusted the length so the body rested against the ground without placing too much stress on the shoulders. With the deed done, he stepped away and waited for his Grandmaster to finish the work of art that was set for Fate.

With a firm hand, the man pulled the blindfold and gag from the blonds' face, tossing them aside. Once that was done, he reached forward, swiftly unbuttoning the cloak and disrobed him; leaving him naked for Fate's arrival. The dark robe was placed at his knees so the dirty floor wouldn't turn away Fate. With that done, he turned around and gestured for the other member to follow him.

They left without another backwards glance at the chained male; any looking would only make it disrespectful for Fate and they wanted to be in her favor this year. The old doors shut behind them and a lock turned heavily, leaving the blond alone to await his fate.

* * *

The first thing Naruto realized when he came to, was the cool air on his naked skin. The next thing he realized was that he couldn't cover himself due to the heavy shackles around his wrist, which he discovered that no amount of struggling would let him break through.

This whole thing was ridiculous and if he had known what kind of crazy shit was going on in this 'Society', he never would have joined. However, his advisor had suggested that he join more clubs because it looked good on the resume. So he picked this one since it sounded interesting and all the others sounded either too high class or far too boring. Now he was starting to believe that boring was looking a lot better than this.

Because whatever this was, he was certain it wasn't going to end well for him. He was naked in some old building where he was either going to be killed or raped; or probably both. He had heard of these cults before when he was in high school, but didn't think anything of them; they wouldn't want someone like him. You usually had to be a politician or extremely wealth to be a member.

Who knew being a virgin would grant you access just as easily?

His head shot up as soft footsteps echoed throughout the large, empty building. Or rather, used to be empty.

Now it was probably home to someone who was going to do unimaginable things to him while he was tied up like a puppet. He struggled against the chains again only to cry out when they bit into his skin, causing blood to trickle down his arms.

The footsteps drew closer and Naruto felt his body shiver at the unknown and he desperately wished to be somewhere else. Even staying at home and studying would have been better than this; hell, he would be happy to take the test next week if he could escape this place unharmed. A whimper escaped his throat at the thoughts of what could happen to him and a lone tear trickled down his face.

He didn't want to die.

"So, you're my yearly sacrifice?" an amused, dark voice asked behind him. Something soft touched his back and ran down his spine, stopping at base of it. "Those idiots."

Naruto froze at the voice and it wasn't until the touch had left his body that he realized the voice wasn't female, but male. His head whipped to the side as he tried to see the man but no one was behind him. Instead, the same gentle touch grasped his chin and pulled his head around so he was facing forward again.

This time, he was face to face with dark eyes that stared at him with such intensity that it sent shivers down his spine. The pale face was framed by black locks of hair and was pulled back in a single, low ponytail at the base of the mans' neck. Simple black jeans and a dark blue shirt covered his body while a thin, silver necklace hung around his neck.

"So, you can see me," he muttered and watched as the blue eyes searched his face before he stepped back, making Naruto flinch.

"Please don't rape or kill me," the blond blurted out.

The man waved his hand. "I may be many things; cruel included, but I don't stoop as low as to rape someone. I trust that you're from that Society of Fate or whatever they call themselves.'

He nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"They do this every year; or almost every year. They prefer to send virgins thinking that it'll be more pleasing but I've never touched them; you'd think they would learn." He mussed almost to himself.

"How do you know about this?" Naruto asked. "Are you a student who lives here to escape paying the dorms; 'cause I hear you, they're expensive. But if you let me go I promise I won't tell anyone you live here."

"Live here?" he questioned and an amused smirk crossed his face. "I don't live anywhere on this field. I travel the world, doing my job and I just stop here every year because I know those idiots will have tied someone here."

The man stepped forward and traced his fingers over the locks, making them snap open under the touch. He caught Naruto as he fell and set him carefully on the cloak before handing him a small bundle of fabric.

"You asked how I know about this. Let me ask you this, why are you here?"

"I was supposed to be a gift or something for Fate."

The raven-haired male hummed. "And here we sit."

Naruto eyed him. "You're telling me that she's real?"

"She? Whoever said Fate is a female?"

"Everyone I guess," Naruto answered with a shrug. "That whole, fate is a cruel mistress thing kinda points to it being a female."

"Well everyone is wrong," the man responded, sitting down next to Naruto. "And yes, I'm very much real."

Silence settled between them and the man carefully watched Naruto. The azure eyes squinted in confusion at first as his eyebrows furrowed but suddenly they widened and he could see the realization drawing in them.

"Holy hell, you're Fate!?"

"I prefer the name Itachi, but yes; I am Fate."

Naruto shook his head quickly. "No, you can't exist and you're supposed to be a female!"

Itachi frowned. "I assure you that I'm one hundred percent male, would you like to see?"

The blond scrambled away from him, hissing as his skin scrapped across the ground. "No. I don't want to see any of your man bits, just stay over there...Itachi." He took several calming breaths and then realized his own nakedness. A blush spread across his face and he grabbed the clothing to cover himself. "Okay, I need to think. There's no way that you can be Fate. Because Fate doesn't exist in real life, she or he...whatever, can't be a person, it's supposed to be an idea."

"I really wish you'd stop talking about me as if I wasn't here." Itachi chimed in from the side but his statement was lost to the blond.

He snapped his fingers. "I know, I must be high or something. They must have drugged me before chaining me up and now they're recording me so they can post the video up on YouTube and I'll become the laughing stock of the world. Yeah, that's it."

Dark eyes glanced at him and Naruto flinched slightly at the emotion that swam in them. "You know; you're the first person I've talked to. Usually I put them to sleep and release them until someone comes to check on them. Once they're home, I leave."

"So why would you chose me?"

Itachi shrugged. "I didn't choose you, you just happened to see me."

"Okay, okay," Naruto said and placed a hand to his pulsing head. "Can't you just; I don't know, prove to me that you're Fate or something? You have to give me something to work with; I mean, this is like telling me unicorns exist or that at one time I was a ninja in a past life."

Lips quirked slightly at the phrase but otherwise didn't say anything. Instead, he stood up slowly so he didn't frighten the blond and once he was next to him, he knelt down. With careful hands, he grasped Naruto's arm and his fingers traced the cut that the shackles had given him. He brought the wrist to his mouth and placed his lips over it once before running over the cut with his fingers once again.

When they passed over the skin, the cut slowly dissolved into the skin; leaving an unblemished patch of skin. He released the hand and Naruto brought it close to his face, trying to find any proof that the cut was once there. After finding none, he let his hand drop onto his lap and he closed his eyes.

"Headache Naruto?"

"Yeah, I..." he stopped. "How do you know my name?"

"I told you, I'm fate; I know everything about you."

Naruto shook his head again. "No, no, this is just some joke; some type of initiation or something. You're probably the brother who was in charge of me and you're getting some sick kick out this." He grabbed at his hair and rocked back and forth. "I didn't ask for this; I just needed to join some club so it would look good on my resume. Hell I don't even believe in fate. Just leave me alone."

A hand grabbed Naruto's arm, pulling him out of his trance. "I can't leave you alone. As corny as it's going to sound, it was fate that we were supposed to meet. The mere fact that you can see and hear me when no one else can means that we're connected somehow."

"How do you know that we're connected? I just met you and oh god, why are you coming closer?"

Naruto felt himself tipping backwards as Itachi pushed him back. His back connected with the cold concrete floor and his breath hitched as the raven hovered over him, his hair framing his face while the tip of his ponytail swung over his shoulder. Blue eyes dilated in fear at the harsh light that had entered those dark eyes and for a moment, he feared that he had gone too far and had tested the mans' patience.

"Everything in this world is connected to something or someone. You can trace the lines of fate back and make it connect in ways that you never thought possible. Whether you believe me or not is up to you and I'd hate to make you suffer in order to prove to you that I am indeed Fate. I control the lives of the people of this world, judging when they die and how long they will live."

"I thought that God did that," Naruto whispered.

"I'm merely a tool. The stings that bind everyone together are visible through me and they loop throughout this entire world, connecting us in some shape or form."

The blond swallowed hard and he found that he couldn't slow his racing pulse even if he tried. "What, what are you going to do with me?"

Itachi snorted and relaxed his grip on the wrists. "I already told you that I wasn't going to rape you. I'd gain nothing from that and even I have my own morals that I follow."

"Then what do you want from me?"

Once again, silence over took them and Itachi seemed to mull over the question. It seemed that even he wasn't sure what to do with the blond outside of the realm of keeping him. Centuries past, he remembered conversing with a human and even that was for a brief moment. If he remembered correctly, he was escorting someone to the underworld to make a deal with one of the lesser Gods at the time.

His job was merely to watch the threads of humanity and allow them to sever when the time came; what happened after that didn't involve him. He could see all the strands if he so wished it and often times it was a game he could play for hours. Tracing the lines of one human to another and to another, seeing how far he could go before the line of similarity was broken. But for all his time in the human realm, no mortal could see him.

For all the temples and alters dedicated to Fate (the female one mind you), and all the sacrifices and people that sought him out, none could sense his presence. Until now. This one male had broken the unbreakable cycle and that in and of itself had to mean something to him. But he wasn't sure what it meant for him. Just because he was fate, didn't mean that he had all the answers.

Most of the time he was left in the dark about what to do in certain situations. Whether to intervene and help or if he should leave the humans alone. His predecessor was a cruel male; Madara was his name and he enjoyed tampering with the lives of humans. So much so to a point that he was destroyed by the very forces that created him and Itachi was born in his place. Perhaps this is where the cruel mistress quote came from.

Although the female bit was becoming rather old and annoying.

He grunted at the thought and drew his attention back to the blond. His eyes traveled over the naked skin that was presented to him and his fingers twitched to touch the skin while heat pooled in his belly. It had been a while since he bedded someone and the thought of taking this young male made his blood race but he quelled the urge so he could calm his mind; submitting to the primordial desires of lust would only make things difficult.

Instead, he pushed the thought away for now and stayed still over the blonds' body. "You don't believe who I am?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I don't. I'm sorry."

Itachi sighed and closed his eyes. He couldn't leave this man now; he still had no idea why Naruto could see him but if he let him go now, it was possible that he would never find him again. "I'm sorry too, sorry that I have to do this."

His eyes snapped open and what were once dark eyes were now replaced with a crimson color with small black markings surrounding the eye. The markings started to spin and Naruto felt himself being pulled into them. For a second, the room flashed into a red and black style of patterns before it slowly bled back to normal and he was left panting. His hands trembled and they grabbed a hold of Itachi's wrist for stability.

"What happened?" he gasped.

"Nothing," came the answer, but the silent 'yet' still hung in the air. Instead, the raven drew his face closer until his warm breath fanned over Naruto's face. "I'll see you tomorrow and then you can tell me if you still don't believe me."

The feeling of a soft, feather like kiss was placed on his lips before a gust of wind swept through the room and Itachi was gone. Naruto sat up shakily and brushed his fingers against his lips where they still tingled due to the intimate action. He jerked his hand away quickly at the thought and stood up. His clothes were long gone since he had been naked since the beginning of the ceremony but Itachi had left him a new set.

He pulled on the slightly too big material and wrinkled his nose when the smell of cedar wafted up to his nose. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the hood over his head, shielding his head as he walked out of the building, pleased to find it unlocked. It was way past curfew and if the campus police caught him out this late, he would be in trouble. All libraries and classes closed at one in the morning and he was certain that it was past that time.

Moving swiftly through the shadows, he kept his eyes and ears open for any sounds or movements; pausing when his senses noticed anything. His dorm room was across campus in relation to the art building and it was a slow pace to start with. Thankfully, the school took great pride in decorating the vast campus grounds with numerous trees and statues from art students.

Ahead, he could hear the babbling of the water fountain that marked the center of the campus and he nearly stumbled into the stream that supplied the waterfall. He heaved a sigh of relief and followed the stream until he reached the drop off where the water rushed over the edge of the artificial mountain. Slumping against the rocks, he paused to catch his breath and spared a glance around the area.

After passing this one last building; the library and student center, all that separated him from the safety of his dorm room was the massive parking lot. But with all the cars in the lot, it would give him plenty of shelter to duck behind in case a patrol car drove by. Gathering his wits, he darted forward until he reached the archway of the darkened library and he checked his status. So far so good.

With one last burst of stealth like speed, he darted off to the parking lot and made his way through the parked cars. Upon reaching the doors to his dorm, he swiped his card and the doors slid open, spilling light onto his feet. He slipped inside and up the stairs to the fifth floor where his body cried for bed.

Fumbling with his keys, he shoved the metal object into the lock and pushed his way into the room. His roommate was already asleep, seeing as he couldn't see any light coming from under the door and he slipped inside his own room. He flicked the lock on the door and instantly slumped against it, sliding to the floor. His heart raced in his chest as he panted for breath and he half expected to look up and see Itachi waiting there.

But when he peeked open his eyes, all he saw was his messy room; the same way he left it this morning. Stumbling to his bed, he kicked off the sandals that Itachi had given him and dropped onto the bed, too tired to remove the borrowed clothing. As soon as his head hit the pillow, his mind slipped into a dream world where endless colors of strings filled his mind.

* * *

Sunlight cast through the curtains and once again, Naruto cursed himself for not pulling them shut all the way. Angrily, he stormed over to the fabric hanging from the window and yanked it shut. Not that it mattered; his mind was too awake for him to fall back asleep.

When he woke up this morning, he was convinced that last night was a dream. But seeing the clothes on his body and the faint sting of skin from his finger, he knew that it wasn't. Upon realized this, he rolled over and pressed his face into the fabric of his pillow and screamed. If the whole thing last night had been a joke, it was going to be all over the web by now. If it wasn't then, he either went insane or he had actually met Fate.

And Fate was a guy; a rather good-looking guy at that.

That struck him as odd to begin with and he wondered then, why everyone claimed him to be female. He would have to ask Neji about that after he punched the man in his face a couple times for leaving him for some stupid sacrifice.

With that thought, he rolled out of bed and hesitantly checked the school's webpage and other various video sites. After finding nothing involving him in the events last night, he breathed a sigh of relief and closed his computer. He made his way to the shower, shedding his clothes as he went. The warm water soothed his muscles and soon steam filled the small bathroom as he enjoyed the heat.

Loud knocking of the bathroom door drew him from his thoughts and faintly he could hear his roommate through the door, "Don't waste all the hot water in there Naruto."

The knobs squeaked as he turned off the pressure and grabbed the orange towel from the rack. After running it over his body and pulling on clean boxers, he tossed the towel around his shoulders so it could catch any water from his hair and exited the bathroom.

Now that he was more awake, he could smell breakfast wafting through the shared living room area and he made his way to the kitchen. Drooling slightly at the smell of bacon cooking and French toast grilling, he almost missed the golden line floating in the air. It wasn't until Shikamaru turned to him that he noticed it.

There, coming from his chest, right where his heart would be was a golden thread. It looked thin, almost like hair but closer inspection revealed that it was slightly thicker, like that of yarn. His eyes traced the gold color and found that it ended on his own chest. Several other strings seemed to appear from his back and spilled out in many directions but these varied in color and thickness to the one he was seeing now.

"What's on your back?" he asked.

The genius cocked his head backwards and then shrugged. "Nothing. And don't kid with me today; I made breakfast even though it was troublesome."

Naruto rolled his eyes at the comment but his eyes kept seeing the strand in front of him. He raised a hand and tried to swipe at it, but found that it went right through it.

"Naruto, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

The blond stood up quickly, knocking the chair over. "I, I have to go see something. Wrap up breakfast or something and I'll get back to it."

He sprinted from the room, pausing to grab a pair of semi clean shorts from the laundry pile and a jacket by the door. The door banged open loudly and slammed even louder still, but he didn't hear it.

Strings.

There were strings everywhere.

They laced up and down the corridors, vanishing into rooms and some going through the outside walls. He froze as one snapped in half and fell to the floor, slowly fading away from the brilliance that it once glowed in. Almost as quickly, the door burst open and a red faced female stormed from the room, followed by a half naked male. The shouts of him begging her to wait echoed down the hallway and from where Naruto stood, he could see another female sitting on the couch, wrapped only in a blanket.

He turned quickly and darted outside where he froze as he took in the outside world. The entire front yard that welcomed visitors to his dorm was crossed in strings. They spun around each other and seemed to move through the building with no regard to it being there. It was if they wrapped around everything and choked it in their hold.

Breaking into a run, he darted through the yard, trying to avoid the strings as best he could. He wasn't sure what they were for, but he didn't want to touch them, lest it bring about some disaster somehow. And it seemed that there was no stopping them, even as he moved deeper into campus. Instead of thinning, as he thought it would, it grew thicker and then he realized why.

Today was a festival for the university to honor the clubs, fraternities, and sororities. Hundreds of people stalked the student center already; despite the early hour and from them, millions of lines seemed to cross between them. From each body sprouted too many strings to count and as he watched, new ones would seem to spring out when they met someone new.

It was as if they were spinning a web around the school, trying to keep everyone in and connect them. He glanced down at himself and tried to see if there were any lines that connected to him but he found that he couldn't see any lines on him anymore.

"Naruto!"

He spun around and found an auburn haired male stalking toward him. His confusion must have showed on his face because the male held out his hand and Naruto could see a tattoo for fate imprinted on his arm. The man stopped when he was an arms length away from him and his eyes scanned over his body, trying to determine if anything had happened to him last night.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself; I'm Pein, your older brother until the next year. Are you feeling well, you look a little pale?"

"I'm, I'm still trying to adjust; things are a little confusing right now."

Pein grasped his wrist. "Were you harmed last nigh at all? We have connections to the hospital and we can get you in."

Naruto shook his head. "I wasn't touched."

A frown crossed his face, "Once again Fate has deemed our gifts to her unworthy. We had hoped that with you, things would have been different, especially since you weren't there this morning. Usually, we find the, uh, gifts are still in the building; resting on a bench, sound asleep. But you were gone and we worried that she may have taken you."

"Did you ever question that Fate might not be a female?"

Confusion settled in Pein's eyes. "What are you talking about? We've always known Fate to be of the female line."

"But last night I, shit!"

Naruto stumbled away from Pein, his eyes wide with fear. As if this day couldn't get any more confusing, he had just seen someone materialize out of thin air, but at least he recognized the person. Although he wasn't sure if he wanted to see him.

Itachi's head turned to him and he silently raised his hand to his lips in a silencing gesture, followed by a shaking of his head.

"Naruto?"

Pein was looking at him curiously and Naruto wondered if the man was questioning his sanity. Hell, he was questioning his own sanity right now to begin with. Instead, he shook his head. "Sorry, someone must have stepped on my foot or something," he lied quickly.

"Should we go somewhere else to talk then, somewhere less crowded?"

Behind Pein, Itachi shook his head and the blond resisted the urge to flick the man off. Instead, he shook his head. "No, I actually need to go right now. I'm late to a, uh, study group."

The older man seemed to question the lie but still inclined his head. "Very well, but Neji would like to speak with you before the day is over. Please see to it that you meet with him."

"Sure, I'll jump on that ASAP." Naruto said sarcastically, leaving the desire to punch the man out of his sentence. He gave a quick wave to his brother and walked away at a pace that seemed like he was in a hurry but at the same time made it seem like he was in control of the situation. Even though he was far from it.

As he continued to walk, lines continued to jump in front of him and he tried to dodge them as best he could. He could see the strange looks he was getting but he ignored them until he found a spot void of human life. With a huff, he settled onto the concrete step and closed his eyes, waiting for someone to tell him he wasn't going crazy.

"You know, touching the strings won't harm you, or them," a voice said.

Naruto's head shot up at the voice he now knew and a scowl formed across his face. "What the hell did you do to me?"

"Nothing. I merely showed you what has been blind to everyone else. What I see if I so choose to."

"Itachi," Naruto growled and paused as two females walked by, chatting happily. Once they passed, he continued. "Take it away."

"I'm afraid I can't; not yet at least," Itachi answered and moved to sit next to Naruto. "Relax, I'm not going to harm you as I told you last night. My powers are hiding us from view so people will not think you're talking to yourself."

"Thanks," he answered sarcastically.

"I told you that I am Fate and you didn't believe me, this was the only way I could prove it to you."

Naruto scoffed. "So you made me think I was going crazy in order to prove a point. Well congratulations, I thought I was going crazy, now make these lines go bye-bye."

"You accept the knowledge then that I'm Fate that easily?"

"I don't know what to think right now," the blond snapped. "I just don't want to see these lines anymore. I've seen them break and then grow from different people. Hell, my roommate must have had twenty growing out of his back."

Itachi sighed and leaned back on the steps. His gaze settled in the cloudless sky where even there, lines could be seen; crossing the sky in unrecognizable patterns. It was like trying to see what shape a cloud made but with string instead. He should have known that the blond mortal would have been hard to convince but he wasn't finished yet.

"I can't afford to let you go Naruto. It's too hard to find you."

"You're Fate, can't you just find people at the drop of a hat?"

"No. There are limits to my power and what I can do. If I let you go now, it could be decades before I find you again."

Naruto snorted. "So what's the problem with that? I'm just some guy, it's not like you need me."

The raven was silent for a while before answering. "It's the fact that you know about me. My instincts tell me that something is pulling me towards you and I have to figure out why."

"I think you're a stalker," Naruto stated. "How else would you know all this and keep trying to convince me?"

A small tick developed in Itachi's eye, which the blond failed to notice. In a quick moment, Itachi stood up and glared down at Naruto. "I'm doing this to protect you and prove to you that I am indeed Fate." He ran a hand through his hair. "Do you remember the chant that your Society says at every meeting?"

"It's rather long if you ask me, but yes, I remember it; otherwise they wouldn't let me in."

"What did it say? And not the whole thing, just the first few sentences."

Naruto gnawed on lower lip in thought before the first two lines came to mind. "Fate is a cruel mistress; she controls the strings of the universe and ties us to one another. From her body radiates millions of strings that connect us to her, making it impossible to escape her cruel grasp."

With a nod, Itachi stepped back and placed his hands together. "Exactly, from her body radiates millions of strings that connect her to us." He repeated, bending a few fingers down while others wrapped around those still standing. "Release."

Wind whipped blew through the trees before a shockwave seemed to pulse out from under Itachi's feet. It passed through the ground but Naruto didn't feel it and there was no other indication that anyone else felt it. His eyes scanned the trees to see if perhaps the animals staying there may have felt something, but no birds had taken to the sky.

Turning his attention back to the raven, a yell escaped his mouth and he scrambled backwards until his back slammed against the stone building. His eyes widened at the sight and he felt his jaw fall slack. There was no way that this was happening, it didn't seem possible.

The lines that had once littered the campus had now tripled and seemed to darken the sky. They were everywhere he looked; ranging in size and color. But the part that had him staring, was the origin from where they all came from.

Itachi.

His entire body seemed to radiate out the strings. From him, they left his person as thin lines before growing bigger and adapting different colors as they worked their way to other people. Several at a time would fall off while just as many would seem to sprout from him.

"Wh-what's going on?"

Itachi gestured to the lines that seemed to cover every inch of the student center. "These? These are the lines that connect humanity."

* * *

A/N: Birthday present for one of my minions, who happens to enjoy multi chapters; although I'm hoping it won't go over seven chapter - eight if I'm lucky. But anyway, next chapter will be up next Thursday.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto, nor do I make any profits from this writing.

**Warnings**: Minor amounts of foul language

**Beta**-**ed **by Akiru chan

* * *

When Naruto first entered college, he expected a few things to happen. He'd make friends, take some interesting (and boring) classes, get trashed on the weekend and wake up with a pounding headache the next morning; and hopefully meet someone special.

While the first two were an easy guarantee due to his charismatic personality and the multitude of classes he needed to take, the last two were a different story. He wasn't a heavy drinker to begin with and the thought of going out to party every weekend and destroying his liver didn't seem that appealing. So, while he would go out for a drink every now and then, and get hammered even less than that, he was still able to fulfill the third expectation.

But the whole, finding someone special wasn't working out that great. It seemed more and more that as the years went on, people would get together for the simple pleasure of just fucking. No one stayed together anymore and he had seen many friends hurt due to their constant flirting and sleeping around. Which was why he was always looking for something else when he met someone.

He wanted someone who would want a steady relationship without the pressures to have sex all the time. So far, it was a rather pointless search and he wondered if he should just wait until he graduated college to find someone who wasn't horny 24/7.

Although this did label him as a virgin in the whole sex department.

However, when he thought about having a special person he always pictured someone who he had feelings for; not someone telling him they were Fate and then proceed to freak the living hell out of him by radiating out millions of strings from his body.

Turns out that Itachi had made his fourth and final expectation; just in a different way than Naruto had expected it.

Because Itachi was defiantly special.

So now, here he stood with his back pressed firmly against the wooden door that led to the Physic's building, hoping that it would somehow swallow him. Of course, that didn't happen, but then again, if people like Itachi existed, who's to say that a door couldn't swallow him somehow?

"Humanity?" he asked.

"The lines you saw earlier were merely those lines of the people you knew. This is why your roommate only had twenty protruding from his body. Those are the friends that you know through him or other people that you two are friends with."

Naruto gestured to Itachi. "And all these? Where did they come from?"

"These are the rest of the worlds. The population of earth is over six billion Naruto and while there is no way you can be connected to all of them at once, I simply showed you the ones that you are connected to. But seeing as you don't believe me, this seems to be the only way to convince your mind. As you can see, tracing you would be hard should I leave now."

Blue eyes narrowed at the strings. "There's no way that six billion strings are coming from your body."

Itachi shook his head. "These are only the ones that I will deal with today, but the number is still large. The rest are in other places and come to me when they will."

"How can you move?" Naruto muttered.

"The strings aren't literally attached to me. They simply show the connections to everyone and everything, although I suppose at one time they held purpose."

The raven fell silent once again, allowing Naruto to take in everything that had been explained. He could still see the doubt running through his mind as it reflected in those captivating eyes. Overhead, the clock tower struck ten but even the loud bells didn't seem to have an affect on the blond. He seemed lost in his own world as he tried to sort through everything.

"How do you make them go away?" he asked.

"Once you believe me," Itachi answered and stepped forward, placing his hands on either side of Naruto's head. "Once you _really_ believe me."

Anger flashed in those blue eyes and he snarled back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

For a moment, Itachi didn't move. He simply stood still, allowing his head to hover next to Naruto's neck, breathing in the musky scent. It seemed so familiar; the smell, the body, the feelings; everything. His breath ghosted over the tanned skin and he dipped his head closer until his lips brushed against the racing pulse point. It wouldn't take much, to mark him, just enough so that he could find him.

A small spark of energy raced through his body as his mouth pressed openly against the skin. The small jolt transferred into the other body and when he pulled back, the tiniest of symbols marred the skin. For now, it would allow him to keep a better watch over the male and warn others that he was under his protection for the time being.

The blond showed no signs of discomfort at the transfer of energy and didn't even seem to realize it had happened. Instead, red dusted his cheeks at the close proximity and his chest moved quickly as he tried to calm his heart down.

"You still doubt me; something is holding you back that won't allow you to accept my words. Until every fiber of your being fully accepts my words, the lines won't vanish," Itachi paused and moved back slightly. "But I will grant you clemency by leaving you alone until that day comes."

"You're leaving me?" he asked.

Itachi nodded. "Yes. I won't come back until you realize the truth behind my words and when the time comes that you want it to end, just call my name. It'll be the easiest way to find you again."

Naruto blinked, not believing the words that were leaving the mans' mouth. There was no way he was going to leave him alone; it had to be some kind of joke. Fate was supposed to be cruel, according to legend and his own words on the night they first met. Why was he going to grant him this small act of kindness?

But the wind blew lightly as Itachi moved away from his body and his eyes widened as he seemed to vanish in front of him. He shook his head quickly trying to make sure he had seen things correctly, but the raven was already gone. The strings however, remained.

He stood with his body pressed tightly against the door, panting heavily. It wasn't possible; they were supposed to vanish when he left but why were they still here? The red eyes from the previous night flashed in his mind and his eyes narrowed at the thought of being cursed. Glancing up at the clock tower, he pushed away from the door.

Pein had told him that he needed to meet with Neji and even though he was severely pissed at the man, the Grandmaster knew the most information regarding Fate. With any luck, he would be able to answer any questions about Itachi and maybe figure out what to do with these lines that were now strung everywhere. And if he were lucky, he would find out how to get rid of them.

With that thought in mind, Naruto took off across the sprawling green lawns, not even flinching when he moved through the various strings. Itachi had told him that they wouldn't harm him and he couldn't harm them, so he had no fear about passing through them. If anything, he was more annoyed at them due to the fact that it made it hard to see two feet in front of his face.

He had already lost count of how many people he came close to running into and he was certain that if he were new to the campus, he would've run into a building. Only through sheer luck was he able to make it out of the student center without making a fool of himself and he pushed his way onto the main road. It was only a short walk to Neji's dorm room that he shared with other high members from the Society and there Naruto hoped to get some answers.

A car horn blared at him and he cursed as he waved apologetically to the driver. As soon as his feet hit the curb he tugged at his hair in frustration and wondered if he was going to need a guide dog to help him survive. Stumbling, he made his way to the tall dorm room and pushed his way into the beautifully decorated community room.

Seeing the rooms once again, he wondered if this was what it meant to be an upperclassman. Freshman and sophomores had to stay on campus due to the greedy school system, while the upperclassmen were allowed to stay off campus. He wondered why Neji didn't live off campus since it would be cheaper; these ornate dorms had to be double what he was paying for his little room.

Naruto already had an apartment lined up when he finished his spring semester and the sooner he could move into it, the better. He disliked having to listen to the alarm clock going off in the room next to him at five in the morning. His neighbor was a rather…interesting person and he had the pleasure of meeting him twice this year already.

One too many times for his liking, but their schedules were so opposite it was rare enough that he saw him.

He paused to hit the elevator button and waited for the comforting 'bing' to bring the metal contraception to him. Rocking back on his heals, he had toyed with the idea of taking the steps, but knowing his luck with these strings, a door would open and he would run into it. The thought made him consider skipping class until the problem vanished, but he had too many tests to take.

And now he was cursing himself for asking to take that test last night.

The elevator arrived silently and if it hadn't been for the little noise above the door, he probably would have never heard the doors opening. Shaking his head, he entered the small box and punched the number seven, allowing the doors to slid shut soundlessly. He was surprised that the number of strings had lessened once he had entered the building and even fewer resided in the elevator.

He knew that the strings could go through anything so he couldn't find any reason on why they seemed less numerous indoors. A groan escaped his mouth and he clutched his head, willing the headache to go away. The dull throbbing stayed though and he had the oddest feeling that as long as he saw these strings, the headache would stay with him.

The silver doors slid open on the appropriate floor and Naruto stepped out, pleased to find that the number of strings had indeed lessened. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that there weren't that many people on the inside of the building compared to the outside world. Here, the numbers were limited, thus making the strings seem smaller.

It was only a guess but his mind quickly accepted it as the correct answer. Anything to help him try to cope with what Itachi had thrown at him. The thought of the raven-haired beauty made him growl, but he found that he couldn't stay completely angry at him; there was something there, drawing him to the man who called himself Fate.

Almost as if, he knew the man from another time.

"Hello Naruto."

Naruto wheeled around and clenched his hand tightly at the sight of the Grandmaster walking calmly towards him. It wouldn't do to make a scene in the hallway with an upperclassman, but nothing was going to stop him from beating the man once they were in his room.

"I'm glad to see that you're alright. I'm sure that Pein told you we were extremely worried when we didn't find you this morning," he paused to unlock his room and gestured the blond inside. "Make yourself comfortable."

He nodded numbly and all thoughts of punching Neji drifted away. Seeing Shikamaru this morning with multiple strings connecting to him had been strange and creepy enough; but Neji easily took the cake.

"How far is your reach?" he blurted out.

The elder male arched an eyebrow but settled down on the sofa. Of course, he had no idea what had prompted the question from him, but Naruto was still in shock at seeing the mass number of lines coming from Neji. Several were dark colors, such as black, brown, and blue and he quickly noticed that these lines were the thinnest in the group.

They also were extremely knotted.

Lighter colors of blues and greens escaped his body in a thicker line and these seemed to leave smoothly. No snags or knots wound their way from the main branch and they didn't look as if they would fall apart at the simplest of breezes.

"I know Pein offered to take you to the hospital and yes we have connections there as well, but as for the rest…I don't think it concerns you at this point," Neji stated and offered a small smile as compensation. "You know how it is with new members and all that. We don't want to lose anything before the year even starts."

Naruto shook his head dumbly and Neji patted the seat next to him. With one last look at the most knotted of the strings, he sat down carefully next to the older male, making sure to keep a reasonable distance between them.

"We're rather pleased that you're still with us Naruto, after everything that happened and all," Neji started. "We do take care of all our members so if you have any questions you would like answered, feel free to ask away. I'll answer only those that you can hear of course."

The statement was finished with a simple chuckle and Naruto fought down the shiver that threatened to race up his spine. This man was powerful, not just because of all the networking that he had, but even his nature screamed dangerous. He seemed the type to shoot first and ask questions later.

"Where did Fate originate from?" he asked.

Neji cocked his head. "Fate herself?" he stood up and poured himself a glass of something amber. Naruto shook his head at the offered glass and waited patiently for the elder male to toss the shot back. "Well, the earliest records of Fate started in Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology. Each has a slightly different take on it, but for the most part they follow the same lines."

"In all records, there are always three women who make up fate; one to spin the thread, one to determine the length, and the last to cut the thread. Although their parents are often debated, we know that they were born from God's and were charged with controlling the threads of life."

'_That explains the threads,'_ Naruto thought and frowned.

"So what happened to the other two Fates? They just vanished from mythology?"

Neji shrugged. "I wouldn't say vanished. As time continues, more and more mythology is lost upon the world and we tend to forget about the Gods that once played such a heavy part in the past. The Romans' named our planets off them and yet we think nothing of it. Because of this, I believe that we've tended to clump the three fates into one fate. Worshiping her instead of all three."

"And you're sure that Fate is a she?"

A sharp look was thrown his way. "Why wouldn't Fate be female? In all mythology, she's depicted as female; not only in works of literature but art as well," the man moved forward to look at a vast collection of books and selected a red backed book. He pulled it from the shelf and flipped through it until the correct page was found. "See for yourself; these are all the art's that depict Fate."

Sure enough, every picture that Naruto looked at depicted a female. He rubbed at his eyes and tried to see if perhaps, Itachi could look like one of the women. His eyes squinted shut and he nearly went cross-eyed but it still didn't help to make a raven-haired male appear before him in the pictures. And now his headache was back full force.

"Is it possible that there may be more than one Fate?" he asked carefully. The look that Neji gave him quickly had him raising his hands in defense while he hurried to rephrase his question. "What I mean is; why don't we, er, worship the other two fates?"

Fingers cupped his face, turning his head to the side a few times. "You're interesting," the fingers trailed down his cheeks. "It's curious as to why Fate didn't take you for herself, you're rather cute."

Naruto stuttered and knocked the mans hands away from his face. Neji chuckled at him and patted his head as he would a dog.

"Perhaps I should be glad that she didn't take you, this means that you're free to pursue."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Well, if Fate had claimed you, we would never think about trying anything on you; it would only anger and upset her, you would be hers to do with what she wants."

The sexual implication that rolled from Neji's mouth had Naruto biting back a groan. It wasn't aimed at the brunette though, but rather Itachi. The thoughts of being taken by the man made heat rush through his body and desire course through his veins. The suddenness of the desire surprised him and he was quick to stamp down the feelings.

Instead, he dragged his attention back to Neji who was watching him curiously. He had a small smirk that settled across his lips and Naruto watched as the tip of his tongue flickered out to wet his lips. Funny, that even though Naruto knew what was racing through Neji's mind and knowing the danger that it put him in, the only thing he could think of was that Itachi's smirk was much more sexier.

"That was a cute blush," he cooed, dipping in closer and sucking in a deep breath. "Is there someone you were thinking about just now?"

"N-no." he stammered and tried to stand up, only to be stopped by a hand on his chest.

"No? No one _special_ in your life?" he questioned.

Itachi's face flashed through his mind and he felt pain race through his chest when he answered. "No."

A soft pressure was placed against the underside of his jaw and Naruto moved away from the touch. A chuckle escaped Neji's mouth as a hand tightened on his shoulder, pulling the zipper of his jacket down to reveal smooth, tanned skin.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything to you yet. I just need to make sure that none of the other members try to make a move on you. If you're mine, they won't dream of touching you."

Naruto growled and jerked away, curling his hand into a fist. A loud crack settled throughout the large dorm room and when Naruto pulled his arm back; his knuckles throbbed slightly. He had put a lot of force into that punch but it had done its job and Neji stumbled backwards, holding his jaw. Anger flashed in the pale eyes as a trickle of blood ran down the side of his mouth.

"You shouldn't have done that," he hissed.

The blond shook his head. "You're probably right, but if you think that I'm just going to sit back while you try and make me into some fuck toy of yours, you're horribly wrong," he moved towards the door. "And if you even think about touching me again, I'll report you to the police."

Hands slammed on either side of his head and Neji's face loomed in his vision. "I don't think you realize how far my grasp is," he panted. "The police are under my thumb as well. You can try to rat me out, but they'll just shrug it off. Allow me to reiterate; you're mine."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed in anger. "Fuck off pretty boy."

He moved to punch him in the gut, but a hand curled around his own, blocking the attack. A body pushed against his and Naruto cursed as his head connected with the wall. Grunting slightly to get his grip, he brought his elbow back, catching the man in the chest and he was able to duck out from under Neji's arms. Only to be tackled to the floor.

The carpet burned his skin as they skidded across it and he couldn't help the yelp of pain that escaped his lips. Heavy breathing sounded in his ear. "I told you I wasn't going to do anything to you but now look what you did to me," Naruto blanched as the man ground his erection into his ass and he scrambled to gain traction on the floor.

Once his feet caught the edge of the dresser, he flipped them over and tried to dart away but a hand grabbed his ankle. He was pulled down once again and this time, Neji hovered over him, eyes darkened with unshed lust. However, they quickly cleared when they narrowed in on a small spot on his body.

Shaky fingers reached towards him and carefully traced over the mark before the eyes widened. "Oh my God, you're marked," Neji scrambled off his body and quickly prostrated himself before Naruto. "I beg for your forgiveness, I had no idea that you were taken."

"Wha-?"

Neji carefully peaked up. "The mark on your neck, Fate gave it to you. She must be waiting for you or you're under her protection."

"But I was never touched last night," Naruto cried and then quickly snapped his mouth shut with an audible click. If Neji thought that he was under Fate's protection, than who was he to deny the man such a thought? Right now, it was the only thing that was keeping him safe and he would rather leave this room unharmed. Because his day had already started out bad enough and there was no reason to add anything worse to today.

"Regardless, you are in Fate's watch; whether she means you harm or protection is for her to decide, not myself," he stated and pushed himself closer to the floor so his chest pressed against the carpeted floor. "Please forgive my actions."

Naruto nodded absently while wondering what it was exactly that Itachi had done to him. His mind flashed back to earlier that day when they were close enough that their bodies pressed against each other, sending sparks shooting through his body. Itachi had pressed his mouth against his neck, right where Neji had been looking. His eyes grew wide and he pushed his way into the bathroom.

"That bastard gave me a fucking hickey," he growled out as he tried to see the spot in the dimly lit bathroom.

From under the light, he could see the darkened spot that marred his skin and he was surprised that Neji hadn't seen it earlier. It was rather dark on his skin, although the spot was somewhat small for a hickey. He tried to lean closer so he could get a better look at how dark the mark was. It was odd that under the light it almost looked like a tattoo more than a bruise.

Scowling at the horrible lighting due to missing light bulbs, he stormed out of the bathroom and into the dorm room where Neji was still pressed against the floor. "I'm leaving," he snapped.

"Of course, would you like someone to escort you back to your room?"

The words had formed on his lips to say no but the sight of the strings in the hallway stopped him. There was no way he could make it back to his dorm in one piece with this whole mess of strings blocking his view.

"That would be nice."

Slowly, Neji stood up and shuffled to the door. He knocked on the connecting door and a timid head poked out. "Hinata, this is Naruto, our newest member. He's under Fate's eye and we need someone to escort him back to his dorm; make sure nothing happens to him."

The female nodded. "Of course cousin."

Naruto cocked his head at Hinata as she approached him and bowed slightly. He didn't remember seeing her at the welcoming ceremony although he knew there were females in the Society. He didn't bother to look back at Neji as they left the room, leaving the man to question whether his fate was now doomed.

"What dorm are you in Naruto?"

"Ivy," he responded and they headed towards the North side of campus. It was silent between them for a while before Naruto spoke up. "So, Neji is your cousin?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I'm not in his Society in case you were wondering."

"Can I ask why?" he asked, stopping next to her. They waited for a few minutes and Naruto guessed that they were at the main intersection of the campus and he didn't move an inch until she started forward again.

"Blood relation is the only thing that we share. I don't care to worship Fate the way he does; he takes things so seriously. Ah, I'm sorry; I shouldn't say that to you, you're a member after all," she said, blushing lightly at her mistake.

Naruto shrugged. "Truthfully, I only joined because my councilor said it would look good on my resume. But I won't tell if you don't."

She smiled. "Deal."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, for which Naruto was grateful for. Even though Hinata had said that she wasn't in the Society, he still felt awkward talking about it in front of her. He guessed that he was worried she would tell Neji what he told her and the man would become upset. He might even decide that if Naruto didn't believe in fate, then he was no longer under her protection.

It was something he didn't want and despite his desire to tell Neji that fate was actually a male, he kept his mouth shut. There were times when you learned to stay silent as to save your losses and this was one of those times. He wasn't sure how long it would take for his mind to accept that Itachi was Fate, but he could find himself slowly accepting the strings.

He just wished there was something else to work with.

Sure, the man made strings appear everywhere, but that didn't exactly solidify anything for him. Magician's made things appear and disappear but they always had some trick that they used; so who was to say that Itachi wasn't a magician?

He snorted to himself at the thought. That was a ridiculous excuse, there was no way the raven was a magician. He knew this for a fact and somewhere deep inside, he knew that Itachi was indeed Fate, but his mind refused to wrap around the idea. Whether it be from his stubborn belief that nothing such as magical creatures and mythological Gods existed or just his stubborn self in general refusing to believe it.

Whatever the case, the strings weren't going away, so obviously he didn't fully believe Itachi yet.

"Here we go Naruto."

He pulled himself from his thoughts as Hinata's voice announced their arrival. His eyes drifted over the old, ivy covered building from which it received its name and nodded his thanks to the female. Briefly, he wondered how it looked to have someone escort him back to his dorm but then pushed the thought aside. He was too tired to care and all he wanted was to go to sleep.

As soon as the door was pulled shut, his eyes gazed out over the messy living room and he squeezed them shut tightly before opening them again. The lines were here too, just as he expected, but the colors differed so much than that of Neji's and it made Naruto question the logic behind it all. He groaned and sank down onto the blue couch.

"That's the last time I make breakfast for you," a voice said to his left.

The blond turned his head and smiled sheepishly to Shikamaru. "Sorry man, I forgot that I needed to go see someone this morning."

Shikamaru sunk onto the couch next to him and leaned his head back so he could stare at the ceiling. Their living area didn't exactly have the best view for the lazy genius to look out the window and stare at the clouds all day long, so Naruto had surprised him by tacking up a large poster of clouds on the ceiling. Often times he would come back from classes to see the male laying on the floor and looking up at the ceiling, imagining the clouds moving.

"What's wrong Naruto?"

His head shot up and he quickly shook it. "Nothing. Why?"

"You're too quite and you're sighing a lot. Plus this morning you looked like you saw a ghost."

"Do they exist?" Naruto asked. "Ghost, that is. Or rather spirits of any kind."

The genius shrugged. "It all depends on what you look at. If you look at it based on information available, then yes, you can say it exists. They have people who specialize in the fields and books on the subject. But I think it all depends on how you look at it."

Naruto scowled. "That wasn't helpful."

"Sorry."

Silence enveloped them before Naruto spoke again. "I meet someone today. Someone I never met before in my life, but I feel like I've known him for my entire life. How is that possible?"

"Troublesome." he muttered. "Something's can't be explained Naruto. People believe in reincarnation others believe in spirits beyond the grave. I don't have an answer for you, except to talk to this person you met and see what they feel. Maybe they're going through the same thing."

"Maybe," Naruto said, sighing softly before standing up. "I have to study and then I'm going to bed; my heads killing me."

His roommate watched him silently and Naruto wondered if he was questioning his sanity as well. It was still light outside and was rather early for him to go bed on a Sunday, but he didn't want to think anymore. The information was overwhelming to him and the thought that he was seeing the connection people had to one another made his head spin.

It also made him question why he could see Itachi. The man had told him that he was the first person that could see him and even he wasn't sure himself on the reasons why. That alone made him uneasy. If Itachi didn't know the reasons behind the sudden knowledge of fate, then something wasn't right. Obviously, people couldn't see him for a reason and if he was seeing something that others couldn't, that spelt disaster for him.

He let his head fall onto the desk with a loud thump. The pain that raced through his forehead easily reminded him that he wasn't asleep and dreaming, but instead, he was stuck in some awful reality that wouldn't tell him the rules.

Naruto leaned back and his hand trailed up to the mark that marred his skin. A frown crossed his face as he stood up and turned on the light next to his mirror. It had been too dark to see anything when he was in Neji's bathroom due to the burnt out light bulbs, but now in the bright light, Naruto could see the mark much better.

And now he understood what Neji had seen.

It wasn't a normal hickey as he originally thought it to be; and thinking about it, he would have preferred one over this thing he now saw. Instead of a simple bruise, three comma's dotted his skin in a small circle with another smaller dot in the center of them. The quickest flash of Itachi's eyes raced through his mind and his own eyes widened.

They were the same pattern that Itachi had in his eyes last night before the room went all negative looking. He refused to think about what happened after that and he cursed as his body betrayed him and shivered; obviously remembering the kiss the raven had given him before he had left. Letting out a groan, he stormed away from the mirror and plopped down on his chair.

Now he needed something to cover the mark up before other people started to question it.

The smallest part in his brain was there to remind him that the mark looked somewhat cool, almost like a tattoo, but he stamped the thought down. There was nothing cool about Itachi giving him a weird, demented looking tattoo-hickey. Although, he had always wanted a tattoo and it did look somewhat cool.

'_No, bad Naruto, don't think like that.'_

But the damage was already done and he found that he couldn't muster up enough energy to stay mad at Itachi. Because somewhere deep, deep down, his mind suggest that it was almost as if Itachi had claimed him and marked him as his own. And dammit all, he had a small fetish for possessiveness.

"I'm not going to win, am I?" He questioned aloud and then smacked himself in the forehead when he realized that he was talking to himself.

He slapped himself lightly on the cheeks to wake up and then shook his head. There was nothing that studying couldn't fix and if anything, it would help to keep his mind off the strings that were winding their way around the buildings outside. With that thought in mind, he pulled out a thick book for his short stories class and opened up to a marked page.

Thousands of words flowed across the page and he quickly immersed himself in them, finding them to be a great distraction from everything. He had three tests coming up and if he focused all his efforts into studying, he could almost make himself believe that everything was right with his life. Pausing to grab a notebook to scribble some notes down, he pointedly ignored the doors slamming outside his room.

His next-door neighbor was back from a triathlon and despite all that the race required from the human body, he was still energetic. Loud shouts of youth and energy echoed down the hallway as he ran by, no doubt getting ready to train some more.

Still despite how annoying his constant preaching of youth was, it had inspired Naruto to get up early on Tuesday's and Thursday's to go running before his classes started. He hated himself in the morning when the alarm went off at six o' clock, but it was the coolest time of the day to run and his body always felt refreshed when he finished.

He pushed away from the desk at that thought and turned his back to pop it. Once he was comfortable again, he picked up a new book and flipped it open to a diagram that would be on the test. It was his worst subject and he wanted nothing more than to take the test and get it over with. Because for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he would need to take Music Appreciation.

It wasn't that he didn't appreciate it, but he wasn't exactly musically inclined and playing an instrument besides a few songs on the piano was out of the question. But why the college was requiring them to take the class, he wasn't sure, but he would bet a hefty amount and say that they were just greedy bastards who wanted more money.

His eyes traced over the musical bar on the paper and he quickly identified the notes that made the tune. Submerging himself into the notes and history of music, he easily lost track of time. Outside, the noises of cars moving down the busy street filtered into his room and he knew that it was growing late and most of the student population were coming back from the weekend.

Silence seemed to once again envelop his room and the hairs on the back of his neck slowly started to stand up. A shiver raced down his back at the continued silence and even though the blinds were drawn on the window, he had the oddest feeling that someone was still staring at his window. His eyes darted to the closed blinds and he pushed away from the desk slowly.

As he stood in front of the closed window, he had the oddest thought that if there was someone or something outside his room, it could just break through his window and suck him out. It would be like something out of a crappy horror movie; a large creature with tentacles for arms would grab him and drag him out of his room, kicking and screaming the whole way. It would dangle him from its slimy grasp before dropping him into an open mouth full of sharp teeth.

Naruto snorted at his once again over active imagination and steeled his nerves. If there was something like that on the other side of the brick wall, there would be screams outside compared to the muffled murmur of the cars. His fingers curled around the blinds and pushed them back, muscles tensed in case there was something waiting for him.

Faint trails of sunlight streamed into this room and he let out the breath he was unconsciously holding. His vision was greeted with the familiar scene of ivy-covered walls as he peered down into the courtyard. Students hung around the small statue of the schools mascot while on the other side of the open gates, cars moved by.

Nothing out of the ordinary and he chuckled at himself.

This whole thing with fate was just making him a little jumpy. Sure the strings were still outside, but he wasn't expecting them to vanish just like that. If anything, he had a feeling that he would be more surprised when he didn't see. He shrugged and moved to close the blinds again when the prickling sensation reappeared on his skin.

His eyes scanned the area, trying to find the person who was making him so uncomfortable. He wouldn't be surprised if it was some random student who was high on something and just happened to be staring at his window.

But as the uncomfortable feeling continued his eyes searched for the person harder, trying to figure out why he was getting chills so badly. He could easily recognize most of the students down below in the courtyard so he glanced out towards the street where people were walking on the sidewalk. As he continued his scan, his eyes narrowed on a person who was standing stalk still in the middle of the road.

It wasn't just the fact that they were standing in the middle of the street, but the person had oddly familiar long, black hair and even from this distance he could see the piercing black eyes. Black eyes that were staring directly at him.

He scowled at the man and leaned forward to see if he would do anything now that he had been found; hoping that he would turn away. Instead, the man raised his hand and waved cheerfully at him, a small smile touching his lips. Naruto felt his mouth drop as the familiar clothes jumped at him.

"Your fucking bastard, you broke your word Itachi," He growled. "And what the hell did you do to your hair? It looks stupid."

Naruto crossed his arms across his chest and turned his head to the side. He had liked Itachi's hair the way it was when he first met him…and why the hell was he thinking about this now? Still, the wild looking hair did nothing for his features and it made it easier for him to stay mad at the raven. Itachi had said that he was going to stay away but not even six hours later here he was.

His eyes slid to the side and he was shocked to see that Itachi was still waving his hand, trying to grab his attention. Sighing, he placed his hands on the windowsill and leaned closer to the window. The raven seemed to realize that he had Naruto's attention and let a smile slip across his face.

Swirling his hands around, a small ball formed in his hand before it popped and scissors appeared. The raven gestured widely at the scissors and Naruto nodded slowly, making the smile grow larger.

"Please stop, that makes you look crazy," Naruto muttered, but the raven didn't hear him.

Instead, he waited until a student walked by with headphones in his ears before grabbing at the air. It wasn't until the male kept walking by that Naruto was able to see him holding up a thin golden strand. He gave it a slight tug and the student set foot on the paved road, bobbing his head to the music and not paying attention to anything.

The raven held up the string, making sure that Naruto could see it and then brought the scissors up to the golden strand. Naruto's eyes widened as the conversation with Neji came back to him.

'_The third and final one cut the strings of life.'_

He quickly shook his head, pressing his hands against the glass and mouthing the words 'don't.' But if anything that made the crazy smile grow larger and he pushed the string closer to the fulcrum of the blades.

"Shit Itachi don't do it!" he screamed, not caring if anyone heard him.

The smile grew in size and in one quick movement, his hand jerked up as the scissors snipped shut. The metal blades flashed in the setting sunlight and Naruto pressed his body harder against the window while his hand covered his mouth to stop the scream from coming out. His heart raced against his chest as he waited for the student to drop dead on the road, but he kept walking as if nothing had happened.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief and he opened his mouth to curse at Itachi for scaring him so badly when the sound of squealing tires reached his ears. His head jerked to the side at the sound and his eyes dilated as they realized what was going to happen.

He was sure that the accident happened in a split second, but as he watched it from his safe room, it seemed to last for minutes. The car hit the body, sending it flying over the top of the vehicle before landing harshly on the other side. It rolled and Naruto winced as he watched, unable to tear his eyes away from the gruesome sight.

Already, the golden line that had been cut was slowly fading and all the strings that were coming out of his body had been severed. As he watched, several other lines around the campus dropped to the ground and he could almost hear the screams of despair as the loss was realized.

Finally, the body settled on the ground, unmoving even as a mass of people rushed to his side. Naruto shook his head as they rolled the student onto his back, desperately trying to revive him. He could already tell that it was too late and the realization sunk in that he had known it was going to happen and he didn't try to do anything to save him.

He pressed his back against the wall and slowly slid down it as the image replayed repeatedly in his mind. The nausea that crept up his body was quickly replaced with anger at the raven. What right did he have to show him this? It wasn't as if it would help him come to a realization any quicker and he stood up, ready to yell at the man.

Anger flashed in his eyes as he peered out the window, ready to chew the raven out. But as his eyes settled on the man, his anger quickly dissolved and turned into something else.

Fear.

Seeing the man hunched over the dead body with the demented smile on his face sent shivers down his spine. He had a crazy look in his eyes that showed how much he enjoyed cutting the strings and when he looked back up at Naruto, the smile seemed to split his face as he started to laugh and slowly traced over the lifeless body.

Words stuck in the blonds throat as the man seem to quiet down as he stood up and moved away from the lifeless body. His head rose so his eyes could lock with Naruto's eyes and his hand reached out to grab several more lines. The raven pointed to them before pointing to Naruto as the smile grew sinister.

Naruto backed away from the window slowly, shaking his head. He wanted to bolt and hide away from the mans' eyes, but even hidden from the view of the window, he could still feel them on his person. Crawling forward, he snapped the blinds shut and closed the curtains so no amount of light shone through. Once that was done, he collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily.

Those eyes weren't the same ones he saw this morning. They were dangerous and deadly.

And they were watching him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto, nor do I make any profits from this writing.

**Warnings**: Minor amounts of foul language

**Un-beta-ed**

**A/N: **Sorry about the long delay; it's been written, but I lost my beta. So I finally grew tired of waiting and just posted it; so please ignore any typo-s. Enjoy :)

* * *

Naruto didn't like the mornings. Not because it was early and he hated getting up, but because of the dark that came with it and it wasn't that he was scared of the dark. He liked it dark when he slept and watched movies so it wasn't as though he was terrified of it. But the dark allowed shadows to roam without fear and it distorted everything.

The shadows liked to play tricks on his mind, making him see things that weren't really there. They made him jump at the smallest and most innocent of things as he walked around the darkened room. What he thought to be a person standing in the corner of his room was actually a lamp on the small table next to his dresser. Plants on his windowsill turned into hairy monsters watching him through the window and the person he saw in the reflection of the blank television set was just himself.

Usually the dark wasn't a problem and things like this only appeared in his mind in the early morning when his mind wasn't fully awake. He would jump at them before quickly laughing it off and glaring at the object one more time. Glaring at it reminded him that the object was there so the next morning he wouldn't repeat the same problem.

But this, this was completely different.

Not since he had been a child had he been scared to turn off the light before going to bed. He even remembered the age that he stopped using a nightlight during the long nights and proudly proclaimed that he was a big boy. That had been when he was six. Now at age 20, he was desperately wishing he had his old Scooby-Doo nightlight.

But that had been thrown away long ago and now he lay here, curled up underneath the covers; scared to even fall asleep.

He laughed weakly at himself for thinking such thoughts about the dark, but even calling himself names to try to toughen himself up, did nothing to draw his body out from the cocoon of blankets. He couldn't understand what had happened to Itachi within the few hours that they were apart.

One moment he was gentle and dare he say, loving. The next he was playing in the entrails of a dead student, laughing sinisterly at the scene that lay before him and then turned those murderous eyes on him. Shivers wracked his body as he remembered the blood red eyes that stared at him with such an intensity that Naruto knew he would never forget them.

They spelled out his death.

And for the life of him, he couldn't find himself to stop shaking. Even after Shikamaru had come running into his room due to a scream that escaped his mouth unknowingly. He didn't even know that he was still screaming when his roommate entered his room and it wasn't until he started to cough due to lack of oxygen that he realized it.

Needless to say; the genius was rather worried; after all, he did sprint into his room and the lazy male never ran to save his life. After handing him a glass of water and rubbing his back soothingly, he demanded to know what was wrong. Naruto could only shake his head and mutter nothing but by now the loud cries of ambulances and police gave away the accident outside and Shikamaru was able to work out the details.

His roommate had looked out the window before turning back to him. The accident itself wasn't all that traumatic to watch and Shikamaru couldn't figure out what had startled Naruto so much that it put him in the terrified state that he was in. Shivers racked the blonds' body and his blue eyes were wide with fright. The genius had helped him off the floor and into the bed, telling him to relax in the comfort of his bed before falling asleep.

That had been over four hours ago and Naruto was now laying awake, watching the digital clock flash green numbers in the darkened room. His mind refused to quite down enough to let him fall into any type of deep sleep and he doubted that his dreams would be anywhere close to pleasant. Those red eyes were going to be there to haunt him for the rest of the night and no doubt for the rest of the week.

It didn't help that everywhere he looked; the lines were there to remind him of Itachi. They shimmered lightly in the dark, illuminating the outside with a faint glow although it did nothing to keep the dark at bay. Instead, they increased the shadows and made him shy away at every little thing. It made him feel like a child but it still didn't drag him out of his bed.

As the hours passed, the only thought that was able to keep him mind calm and allow him to fall into a restless sleep, was that there was no way tomorrow could be worse.

Waking up that next morning made him realize that he should have never thought that; things could always get worse.

When the alarm went of that next morning, he had almost forgotten about the accident until the floating strings reminded him. His dreams had been oddly calm and he contributed it to the fact that his mind was exhausted, but everything came rushing back at the sight of the lines. He immediately noticed though, that the strings were less in numbers outside his window and he could see much more clearly.

It was a small plus side and he graciously accepted the change. He wasn't sure why the lines had lessened and he only hoped that Itachi had taken some away instead of killing off the world's population. He dismissed the last thought as ridiculous but it didn't stop him from checking the news that morning to see if there had been any large-scale disaster while he was asleep.

The small grace though was short lived as he soon found that he should have stayed in bed.

Last nights accident would have been somewhat easy to forget as he fell back into the hectic life of a college student getting ready for finals, if it hadn't been for an annoying little shadow following him.

It was there waiting for him at the front door and it tagged along beside him as he walked to class. And it didn't just tag along with him; it taunted him and made him jump at every little thing, making the other students look at him. His newfound shadow didn't act as a shadow should either; it would dart in front of him, grabbing the numerous strings, pulling at them before bringing out a pair of rusty scissors.

All with an insane grin on its face.

Naruto was certain that the man was going to cut the strings, but right as the scissors were about to close, he would pull them away. And once the scissors were away, they would vanish and the raven-haired male would run away, cackling like the mad man Naruto had seen last night.

Only to reappear again in random spots when Naruto least expected it.

Overall, the whole experience was rubbing on his nerves but more than that, it was making Naruto extremely nervous. He was never certain when Itachi was going to reappear or if he was going to snap and cut the strings. By the time he reached his afternoon classes, he was a mess and couldn't even find his way to his next class.

When he finally stumbled into his classroom, he was ten minutes late and was forced to sit in the back. He slumped into the cushioned seat with a sigh and resisted the urge to drop his head on the desk. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his forehead and silently cursed Itachi for going back on his word. A poke to his side made him open an eye and he nearly yelped when Pein's face hovered so closely to his.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, his eyes showing concern as they racked over his body.

"I didn't sleep well last night," Naruto answered back, taking out his spiral notebook. "My mind was running around in circles."

The older male nodded thoughtfully and paused to write down the information that was being written down. Once the words were copied down, he leaned over again. "You should know that Neji is extremely sorry and wishes to express his utmost apologies."

Naruto snorted at the comment but didn't say anything otherwise. He knew that the only reason the brunette was apologizing was because he was worried about bringing Fate's wrath on him. If the man wanted to meet Fate so much, he would gladly switch places with him; seeing the raven randomly pop up in places with a crazy grin on his face wasn't doing anything for him.

And it wasn't as if the man just jumped out and scared him like people did during Halloween. No, this was more of the hiding in the shadows tactic. He would stay tucked away in the shadows while his eyes glowed an eerie red and they would watch him as he walked by. It was getting so bad, that Naruto now jumped at every little shadow that was cast on the floor.

"Is there anything else he said?" Naruto asked icily.

Pein nodded. "He said that yesterday you were asking questions about Fate and if you had any more questions, that you were free to use his material on her."

The information wasn't very helpful to Naruto as he was already figuring things out slowly. If Itachi didn't know anything about the past with the three fates, then there was no way that any book was going to tell him the answers he needed to know. Sadly, he was at a dead end and had no idea where to turn outside of asking the man himself and at the moment, that was out of the question.

His eyes flickered at movement near the front of the room and his body tensed when he noticed the glowing red eyes. The body slowly sunk from the shadows and the fabric around his body seemed to flow with every movement and step he took. The clothing seemed old and ancient, nothing like Itachi had been wearing when they first met, but the new style today made him look more like Fate.

The clothing reminded him somewhat of the pictures he had seen in the books that Neji let him look at. They looked more battle design than anything, but his knowledge about the ancient civilizations was limited and he had no idea what they wore back in the day. Thick red plated sheets of metal hung loosely on his shoulders and over his torso, while long black robes covered the rest of his body. The black hair blended into the fabric and made it almost invisible to see with the exception of the sharp spikes that splayed out on top of his head.

Naruto pouted at that, he liked Itachi's ponytail better. So much nicer to run your fingers through; it looked so soft.

He slammed his head down on the desk, drawing several curious glances his way while the professor continued without stopping. After all, it was college, students did weird things all the time, and he had defiantly seen weirder. Ignoring the look Pein gave him, he continued to stare at the board, keeping his gaze away from Itachi, thinking that if he ignored him long enough, the man would go away.

This theory proved rather hard to maintain when the raven-haired man started to jump behind the professor, waving his hands in the air erratically. It would have been funny if he hadn't done the same thing before killing someone last night. But he seemed rather determined for Naruto to look his way and started to wave a black flag with red clouds imprinted on it.

Naruto's eyes watched the flag move back and forth a little while longer, all the while muttering curses under his breath. He couldn't see the damn board and his eye was starting to develop a serious twitch. Finally, he palmed his face and slowly slid his hand down it, before nodding his head slightly.

The man held his arms up in a sign of victory and then grabbed at the air. This time, two strings appeared in his hands and he looked over them fondly, stroking them carefully. They were thin - almost hair like, dark red in color and severely knotted along the length, making the string sag due to the weight.

The blond sat up straight in the chair. "Don't you fucking dare," he hissed softly.

No scissors were brought out, but instead, pale fingers started to tug at the knots. For a while, the knots held but as time passed and the tight knots were worked on, they became loose. Finally, the fingers started to work at the now loosened string, carefully unwrapping the gnarled threads before they finally came undone. A soft whisper of silk sliding against silk echoed throughout the room as the knots slipped away from each other.

The two red strings were held in separate hands and with a small flick of the wrist; the raven dropped them to the ground. They slowly sunk to the ground, almost seeming to float in the air and as they dropped to the ground, the glow that seemed to surround them, vanished. By the time they hit the floor, they were dull and unappealing to look at; looking more like limp strands of pasta than the beautiful strings, they once were.

Naruto cocked his head slightly, wondering what the purpose of the demonstration was for. It couldn't be bad in his mind, because it looked like the man was working out knots in a persons life, much like a massage worked out the knots in the body. Perhaps he was showing him that there could be good things done to help counteract the bad things that the job detailed.

He smiled softly at that and went back to taking notes, now that he could see the board. His thoughts were calmer now and even though Itachi had bothered him this morning, he supposed he could try to forgive him now. After all, he had just done something nice for a person.

'_This is the way life's supposed to be_

_And there's a reason that you cannot see_

_You'll never be what you will never be_

_But you can always be the one for me baby'_ (1)

The ringtone to the song sounded in the quiet classroom and a girl near the side of the room scrambled to grab the ringing device. Her face was flushed red and she muttered apologizes before silencing the phone. Naruto ducked his head and pulled out his own cell phone to make sure it was on vibrate before pocketing it again. When he looked up again, he noticed the insane grin that had slipped across the male's face.

His red eyes were focused on the girl who had disrupted the class and Naruto noticed that she was still holding her phone. Her hand was shaking slightly and her body was tight with apprehension while her shoulders were squared. In a moment, the phone dropped from her hand and she let out a loud wail before darting from the room, sobbing loudly.

Everyone watched her curiously and even the professor had paused in his lecture. The female sitting next to her scoped the remaining spirals and pencils into a backpack and grabbed the phone sitting on the desk. She followed the other girls retreat with a tense look on her face and let the door slam shut behind her. With a sigh, the professor looked at the clock and set the pointer down.

"Since we only have fifteen minutes left and it seems that no one will be listening, I'll let you guys go. Don't forget to read chapter twenty-one for homework."

Bodies filed out of the classroom while the voices increased in volume but Naruto didn't hear any of it. He knew that whatever had happened to the female was the work of Itachi; the man had been focused on her right before the incident and seemed to be waiting for something to happen. His eyes swept to the front of the classroom, hoping to see if Itachi was there, but the area was empty.

Next to him, Pein grasped his upper arm carefully, tugging at it to get his attention. "Is this your last class Naruto?"

"Wha-, oh. Yeah, it's my last class; I guess I'll see you next time."

"Do you need an escort back to your dorm?" Gray eyes focused on the small mark that was located on his neck and Naruto fought the urge to squirm. He had checked the mark again this morning after a quick shower and it was still there. The thought to ask Temari for some make up had crossed his mind, but he hadn't wanted to bring the mark to his roommates' attention.

The poor genius was already worrying over him already ever since last nights fiasco. He had seen the curious looks that were directed his way as the ate breakfast downstairs but he didn't say anything. Saying something would only mean that he was accepting there was a problem, and he could handle this.

"I think I'll be fine," he finally answered and hoisted his bag onto his shoulder. "But thanks anyway."

He walked away and he could tell that Pein was debating with himself. The man was torn between keeping him safe and making him happy, but in the end, the desire to please him won out and he was left alone.

Outside the door, the faintest sounds of muffled cry and hushed tones could be heard. Naruto slowed his steps down as he neared the water fountain, dropping his head to get a drink while silently eavesdropping.

"I knew we were going through a rough patch and we just had a fight, but I didn't expect him to break up with me. And in a text message of all things."

He heard more soft mutterings as the other female comforted her friend. The words floated through the air and he pulled his head away from the water fountain, feeling a chill run through his body at the cold water. He shifted his bag one last time and started to walk away again when the last sentence made him stop in his tracks.

"We were only having a little trouble, just a few bumps on the road. I thought we could work it out."

"Everyone has those in relationships. They're like knots in your hair, you just have to brush them out carefully and hope you don't split anything along the way."

Knots.

Naruto's mind went back to the strings he had seen coming from Neji and how most of them were knotted. If knots in a person's string meant a troubled relationship with someone, then Itachi could have a field day pulling them apart from the man. But everyone had knots in their strings, some were smaller than others and he figured that it meant they were easier to fix.

He headed back to his dorm quickly; keeping a cautious eye out for the male, but was pleased to see that the man wasn't following him. Grabbing a quick to go box from the cafeteria downstairs, he paused in the stairwell to readjust his backpack before climbing up the rest of the way. It made no sense to take the elevators since they always took long to arrive and he figured it was a better way to stay in shape this.

Puffing slightly when he reached his room, he shut the door behind him with his foot and set the food on the desk. He dropped his backpack on the floor and moved to wash his hands in the small sink that was in the corner of his room. Glancing up to grab at the hand towel resting on the countertop, he caught his reflection in the mirror.

His eyes darted to the small spot on his skin and he frowned as he thought Itachi. Scowling, he splashed water on his face and toweled it dry. It wouldn't do to keep thinking of why the man was doing what he was doing; but he couldn't wait to give him a piece of his mind when they finally met again. Setting the towel on the side of the sink, he reached out and flicked off the water droplets that clung to the mirrors surface.

The mirror's surface flashed at the touch and he stumbled backwards, tripping over a stack of books in his haste to get away from reflective surface. He landed harshly on his bottom, eyes wide as Fate's face stared back at him with the creepy glowing eyes. They stared impassively at him before the hand reached out of the mirror.

Naruto scrambled back further but his body seemed to freeze as several thick strings wrapped around his body. Feet touched soundlessly on the floor and proceeded to walk closer to him. The man squatted down in front of him and their eyes met briefly. Slowly, a pale hand reached forward and slipped under his shirt, working its way up his chest.

Cold fingers sent chills up his spine as they stopped over his heart. For a minute, the fingers sat there and Naruto could see the calculating red eyes dance with glee at the increased heartbeat and the feral growl that escaped his throat. He started at the noise that escaped his own mouth but brushed it aside as the fingers started to push harder against his skin.

The mark on his skin burned harshly as the fingers continued to push harder and Naruto's mouth opened in a silent scream. A sound of frustration sounded from the male's throat before the hands yanked away and latched onto the collar of his shirt. They wrenched it down and stared at the mark with a ferocity that made it look like he was trying to burn it off his skin.

Finally, he released his grip and pushed Naruto back, making him tip over onto the floor. His head smacked the ground but was cushioned slightly by the rug next to his bed. He blinked away the small stars floating in his line of sight and struggled to sit back up.

An empty room greeted him and he quickly grabbed a pillow. He shoved his face into the fabric and screamed loudly before taking the top corner into his mouth and biting down on it hard. His muffled screams and words did nothing to quell his anger, even as he stood up with the pillow still firmly pressed against his face. He staggered forward slightly and dropped the pillow to the floor before pulling his hand back.

The mirror shattered at the force he hit it with and his hand burned due to the glass imbedded deeply in the skin. Blood trickled down his hand and dripped onto the floor but it was easy to ignore. Betrayal and anger raced through his mind and body; making the ache seem much worse. He couldn't understand why he was feeling like this, why the betrayal cut so deeply.

He had only known the man for two days, but it seemed like he had known him for so much more. The thought that Itachi couldn't keep his promise to leave him alone tore at him and his legs gave out on him.

Overwhelming confusion gripped his mind and he curled up into a small ball. He could feel his hand pulse and somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was going to have to pull out the glass but it seemed to be the least of his worries now.

Itachi was pushing his luck and he could only take so much. All around him, the strings vibrated and shone with fierce colors and he struggled into a sitting position. The pain from his hand was slowly working its way into his mind and he scrambled for some tweezers in the drawer. Grabbing them and a small bottle of rubbing alcohol, he gritted his teeth and started to pull the glass shards out.

The pain hurt, but it didn't hurt as much as the betrayal he felt.

* * *

One week later, Naruto was a nervous wreck. Everyone around him could see it and even those that weren't close to him could tell that something was wrong. But despite all the attempts to make him talk, the blond wouldn't say anything.

Naruto had thought that the first day with Itachi and the strings were bad; the rest of the week was much worse.

It had started simple, the first night after the man's weird stunt with the mirror, Naruto had fallen into a restless sleep; worried that the raven-haired fate would murder him in his sleep. Instead of that, he was bombarded with dreams about the man. Flashes of the two of them together would race through his mind, although in his dreams, Itachi looked the way he did when they first met.

Several small snippets of images would flash by; scenes of woods, villages, and strange people. Sometimes they were silent and other times, he watched the mouths move but no sound flowed from their mouths. Raven birds flew by him constantly and at one time, one seemed to vanish down his throat.

That one had him jumping awake, clutching at his throat while cold sweat dripped down his face. After that, he didn't fall back asleep and instead lay awake until his neighbors' alarm clock went off. He listened to the man get ready and the door shut as he left before falling back asleep, welcoming the dark that overtook his mind. His dreams stayed blank until he woke up somewhat refreshed.

But the weird dreams only proved to be the start of his mental breakdown. Whereas the raven-haired fate had been annoying yesterday, he tripled his efforts that next day. Everywhere he could, he would appear, scissors in one hand and strings in another. By the time the day had ended, Naruto had seen three relationships ruined and two people lose loved ones. One couple started a fight in the middle of the cafeteria when a knot was suddenly tied in their string.

Even when the deeds were done, the male wouldn't leave. He would hover around Naruto, walking two steps behind him in crowded areas and breathing down his neck the rest of the time. By the time Naruto reached his room, he collapsed into bed and pulled the sheets over his head to try to block out the mans' presence.

That night, he didn't dream of Itachi or strange villages where people could walk on water, but instead, he saw a large, red fox. It had nine tails that whipped around his body while snarling at a man in a spiral-designed mask. Beneath them, a motionless body lay on the floor and he could see other figures behind it, standing silently on a large statue. A loud scream tore from the animal's throat before it seemed to split into nine pieces and vanish.

He didn't wake up sweating after that one, but the dream stayed with him throughout the rest of the day and hung heavily on his subconscious. Although it wasn't enough to keep the raven at bay. Two more fights and a death occurred that day and that night, Naruto took a sleeping pill to knock him out.

For the next two nights, his dreams stayed the same; repeating the same images as they had before. But unlike the first two times he had seen the dreams; he could actually feel things in them. Emotions ran rampant through his body at the sight of several people, ranging from anger, confusion, and the last one that scared the hell out of him, love.

The last emotion was the one he felt the strongest and it was only present when he was around Itachi. He had woken up to soiled sheets and a soaked sweet body that next morning. His pillow had met the floor after an angry toss that made the fabric rip and caused the stuffing to fall out. That had drawn out a scream of frustration from his throat but it was more directed towards the dream and feelings that it made him feel. He couldn't understand them and why he was feeling that way.

He couldn't figure out the feeling, seeing as he had only known Itachi for a few days and he wasn't sure why he was dreaming about him. The only thought that made any sense was that Itachi had done something to him that night and was making him dream these weird visions. It put him at ease and helped to soothe the voice that whispered that he was betraying his real emotions. That deep inside, he was already feeling something for the raven-haired man.

Still, he would reflect on them during the day in hopes that it would keep him mind off the raven-haired fate, but he was bound and determined to make his presence known. Itachi was stepping up his advances as each day passed, slowly driving Naruto insane. He couldn't say or do anything to the man since all his angry words and pleas were ignored. And any attempt to take a swipe at him ended in failure; as his fists would pass right through his body.

That, coupled with the ever-growing emotions had him screaming well into the night. He wanted to hate Itachi for putting him through hell, but instead he found himself falling for the raven in his dreams. The love-hate tug of war between him mind and heart had him snapping at everyone during the day and crying at night.

He was scared to fall asleep because he didn't know what to expect once he closed his eyes and he was terrified to go to class because the man wouldn't leave him alone there. Naruto had already lost count of how many people had broken up and lost someone in the past week and he was certain that people were dying left and right.

It didn't help, that the raven would run around his classrooms and the campus grounds, cackling like a mad man, while brandishing the scissors. Often times, he would open the metal contraption wide enough so they fit around someone's neck while a face splitting grin spread across his features. Naruto had the misfortune to see what happened when those metal sheers cut through skin just enough to draw blood.

The student had toppled out of the chair and started to thrash and convulse erratically. Their eyes rolled into the back of their heads while the professor scrambled to stabilize the body until the paramedics arrived. He was quickly set on a stretcher and wheeled from the room, leaving the room buzzing with excitement. After that day, Naruto threw away all the scissors in their dorm room.

Naruto wasn't sure what Itachi was trying to accomplish and had given up on trying to figure out. Several days, the man looked annoyed at his attempts and then other days, his eyes shone with glee as Naruto's body shook with fear. But the blond had noticed that the ravens' body was slowly growing tense as the week passed and malice was now settling in his eyes.

The blond had watched those haunting eyes light up with cruelty before he vanished from the classroom. He was on edge as he waited for the man to return, but as the hours passed, Naruto's body slowly relaxed and for the first time in a week, he was able to fall asleep without the aid of sleep medicine.

The familiar dream with the red fox greeted him as his mind sunk into sleep and he could pick out all the shadows that lurked on the statue. It was nothing new and he allowed himself to lean back and wait for the dream to pass. However, as the dream continued as it normally did, he was starting to see differences that were never there and panic started to blossom in his chest.

Unlike the previous times, the body on the ground wasn't fuzzy; instead, it was growing clearer. The large fox crouched over the body, head hovering slightly above the ground with lips pulled back to reveal sharp, white teeth. The masked man didn't seem to be nervous and instead, motioned with his hand, signaling for the people on the statue to do something.

A cry erupted from the fox's throat as it tossed its head back, allowing the man to move forward. He slipped under the animals' stomach where the body laid unmoving and pulled out a long sword. The sheath was white with a single black stripe running down the center and the metal glittered in the candle light as it was raised over the body.

In a swift movement, the tip was plunged into the stomach of the person, making the fox cry out in pain, while the body jumped slightly. Red clouds started to appear around the animal as it was pulled backwards towards the statue. Large claws dug into the ground, leaving thick, deep scars in the stone ground while the nine tails whipped around its body.

With one last howl that seemed to shake the cave, its body split into nine pieces and vanished.

Naruto trembled slightly at the massive display of power and waited for the dream to finish as it usually did. But this time, he found himself walking forward, to the unresponsive body that was on the ground.

Blood pooled on the floor and ran away from the body in thin rivers that covered the stone floor in its crimson color. As he stepped closer, he could see small pieces of paper wrapped around the ankles and wrists of the person while black ink flowed across the parchment, but besides that, nothing else held the body still.

The sword was gone from the stomach, but black ink seemed to run from the skin like the blood itself, mixing into the red liquid and turning it into a darker color. Soft drips sounded in the large cave, followed by a loud cracking that sounded like stone breaking apart but he paid no attention to the noise. Instead, his attention was drawn to the figure on the ground.

Blond hair matted with blood, dirt and grime framed a torn face that was equally covered in blood. Dull blue eyes were open as they stared unseeing at the stalactite covered ceiling and the mouth was open in a permanent scream even though no noise left it. The body was dirty and torn from various cuts, making the orange outfit hard to see in the darkened cave.

But despite all the blood and grim that covered the body, Naruto was able to make out who the person was.

His wide eyes stared back at the empty eyes of his own dead body and he froze when an insane laugh sounded from the statue. The man with the masked face turned to look back at his unmoving body on the ground and Naruto could see a red eye spinning from the lone hole in the mask as it stared at the body. Power swam in those eyes before they swept up and seemed to take hold of him.

Naruto shot up in bed as the eyes focused on him and he trembled harshly. Even though the dream was over, he could still feel the lingering gaze on his body and he knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. Swinging his legs from the bed, he jumped down onto the floor and threw open his door. It was still late at night, as the moon had just started to peak over the trees outside.

He made his way to the kitchen, contemplating whether he should take a shot of straight Vodka or just drown some coffee. His footsteps slowed as his eyes settled on the clear bottle of alcohol sitting on the table already. It was opened and a small shot glass sat next to it, looking unused. A frown settled on his face as he looked at the bottle, knowing that he hadn't used it last night and Shikamaru didn't like the taste of it.

Glass setting on glass drew his attention to the living room and he cocked his head as Shikamaru set a small glass on the living room table. The genius turned his head slowly at the sound of his footsteps and Naruto's eyebrows furrowed at the bloodshot look in the mans' eyes. Wet marks glistened in the dim lightly and the brown hair had fallen from its customary ponytail.

Naruto sat down carefully next to him and took the glass away as it was raised up again. He held the glass in his hands while trying to figure out what had caused his roommate to drink so heavily.

"He's gone."

"What?"

Shikamaru leaned back until his back hit the cushions of the sofa and his head tilted up to look at the clouds on the ceiling. "Chouji."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, he was driving back home to compete in a grilling contest with his father. You know they make the best ribs I've ever had? Well, of course you know, he's your best friend."

"There was an accident," he muttered and Naruto's hand dropped the glass in shock, "One of tires exploded when he was on the highway and he lost control of the truck. It swerved into the other lanes and jumped the median before sliding into oncoming traffic. The eighteen-wheeler never had a chance to stop and the impact killed him instantly."

Naruto was silent as the words slowly sunk in. Liquid pooled at his feet from the dropped drink but its chill didn't seem to affect him. Chouji was a good friend and even though they weren't the best of friends, it was still a hard loss. The realization hit him then that he had never said goodbye to the man before he left to go back home and the pain tore at him.

"It just seems so sudden," Shikamaru spoke up softly. "I remember telling him bye, good luck, and to have a safe drive. Four hours later, I get a phone call from his dad, telling me that there had been an accident."

Words stuck in Naruto's throat as the threat of tears crept into his eyes. He wiped at them harshly and sucked in a deep, shaky breath; words were something that escaped him now and he closed his eyes tightly. Red flashed through his mind and they suddenly shot open. He bolted out of the chair, not even noticing the pain in his feet as the glass bit into the skin.

He was going to kill Itachi.

He strode to the door, pausing to grab a jacket and shoes before wrenching the door open. Shikamaru's voice echoed behind him, telling him to be safe and Naruto backtracked to pick up his cell phone. He quickly dialed Temari's number and after holding the phone away from his ear due to her yelling at him, he explained what happened. She assured him that she would be over within a minute and he vanished from the dorm.

His stormed across the empty parking lot, noticing that the raven wasn't following him this time. Perhaps he knew that he had crossed the line. His stride picked up until he was running through campus at a dead sprint, not even concerned about the police patrol. He skidded to a halt outside the art building before kicking the door open.

"ITACHI!"

His voice echoed loudly through the empty art building as he moved through the hallways. He stopped when he reached the place they first met and called out the name again; circling so he could see when the man appeared. For a moment, the building was silent except for the harsh breaths that left his mouth but soon, his ears heard soft footsteps approaching.

The raven-haired man stepped out of the shadows and Naruto realized that Itachi was wearing the same thing they met that first night. He frowned at the outfit and wondered if this was another one of the mans' tricks.

With a snarl, he moved forward and let his fist fly. A satisfied grin crossed his face as it connected with Itachi's stomach and the man grunted in pain.

"You fucking bastard," he growled out. "You said that you were going to leave me alone to decide but you lied. And not only did you lie; you messed with my mind, killing people and messing with others lives. What the hell was the purpose for that?"

Itachi's head jerked up at his words and confusion flashed in his eyes but Naruto didn't see it. Instead, he pushed the man up against the wall and continued his rant. "You have me so confused, one minute I love you and the next I hate you. I'm sick and tired of dreaming about you and feeling these emotions that you make me feel. I hate seeing these strings and what they can do to people and I don't understand you."

"Naruto, what are you -"

"Don't!" He roared. "Why is that you ignore me for the past week when I begged you to stop but now you won't even fight back? Two days ago, I couldn't even touch you and now that I have you in my grasp, I want nothing more than to beat your face in. Why are you doing this?"

Itachi frowned. "I told you, to show you that I'm Fate."

His hands gripped the fabric tighter. "And you'd to that how? By killing people?" he faltered. "By killing those close to me?"

Black eyes flashed. "I haven't killed anyone."

Naruto snorted, "Sure. Like you haven't been running around my campus for the past week and fucking with everyone's life. I've seen you do it; hell, you bother me enough until I watched you. You mess with the strings so people would die and don't play innocent with me, you made me watch every time."

Itachi's hands wrapped around Naruto's wrists so he could push him back. "What are you talking about? I left you alone just as I said I would. This is the first time I've seen you since I left that day."

"I wish we had never met and you never let me see you. Why can't you just vanish and leave me alone; I don't want to have anything to do with you. I hate these feelings you make me feel and I hate you," he spat. Itachi jerked back as if Naruto had struck him and pain swam in his eyes. "Allow me to remind you of the hell you put me though. You killed people, you messed with their lives by making them break up and those stupid scissors of yours caused someone to have a seizure in class."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "I'm not allowed to mess with the strings that connect people. I simply channel them until they fall off and new ones are created," he stated, quickly covering Naruto's mouth so he couldn't speak. "Cutting the strings is against the rules and is strictly prohibited, as is tampering with the knots in a person's life."

"But you did it anyway," Naruto shouted once his mouth was free. "I saw you."

"Naruto, I haven't seen you since I left and I haven't done anything to you."

The blond growled. "Bull. You were in my dreams and I saw you everyday outside of them. Hell, you came out of my mirror one day and scared the living daylights of me." He pushed his face closer. "So don't lie to me. You and your creepy scissors never left me alone."

"Scissors," Itachi breathed and his face grew paler. "Naruto, you said that I was following you for the past week, what did I look like?"

Naruto looked at him, anger momentarily forgotten at the urgency in Itachi's voice. "You had black clothes on and over that these red plates that looked like something from the samurai period. Why are you asking me this?"

"Was my hair longer?" Itachi asked; his hands gripped tightly onto the clothed shoulders. "Did it look wilder and more untamed?"

"Yeah, why'd you change it?"

Itachi quickly grabbed at Naruto's shoulders and switched their positions so the blond was pressed against the wall. Naruto squirmed against the tight grip but Itachi only pushed against his body harder. "Naruto, listen to me. That man you saw wasn't me, but my predecessor. When he was Fate, he constantly played with the strings, destroying people's lives. I was under the impression that he had been destroyed."

The blond eyed him doubtfully. "You're telling me that there are two of you?"

"No. I don't know why he's still alive and what he wants with you."

"Why would he want me, I'm not that special," Naruto snorted.

Itachi shook his head, "You must be, otherwise he wouldn't go through an effort like this to make you break," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm taking you back with me, you'll be safer there and I'll be able to protect you."

Naruto squirmed slightly at the tight grip that Itachi had on his body as he quickly realized that they were extremely close. Had it been under any other normal circumstances, he would have been happy to be close to Itachi but after the past week, he wasn't sure what to believe anymore. He found himself wanting to believe that Itachi was telling the truth and his instinct was telling him to trust the man.

The raven-haired fate leaned in closer so his breath ghosted across the mark he had left and he inhaled the musky scent. The mark was slightly warm which meant that someone had tried to harm Naruto recently but they weren't successful do to the mark. Itachi closed his eyes briefly, allowing his head to rest in the crock of Naruto's neck and he was pleased that the blond let him.

The words the blond had shouted at him earlier still stung, even though he knew why he spoke that way. He wasn't sure if Naruto believed him or not, but the mere fact that he was letting him stay so close without fighting had to mean something.

"Naruto, did that man touch you at all?" he asked tensely.

"When he came out of the mirror," Naruto answered slowly. "He trapped me and then pressed his fingers into my skin right over my heart."

Itachi's fingers trailed up the same path that the other Fate's had marked, feeling the residue energy that had marred the skin. It pulsed the strongest over the strongly beating heart and something unfamiliar raced under the skin as well. He quelled the urge to probe deeper and find out the cause behind the flux; there were more important things to take care.

The left over energy was probably the reasoning behind the mark being warm. It wouldn't have activated if the man hadn't tried to invade Naruto's body or steal something from the blond. What the other man wanted from Naruto though, he didn't know, but he was glad that he had decided to put the protective mark on his body.

His eyes trailed over the rest of his body, checking for any other signs of injury and they stopped at the reddened knuckles. Reaching down, his fingers wrapped around the tanned wrist and pulled the arm up closer to his face. Pink cuts stood out on the skin and he could see the skin trying to heal but it was a slow process; probably due to the amount of writing and use of the hand.

"What happened?" he asked curiously; bring the knuckles to his lips.

Naruto sucked in a deep breath as the soft lips pressed against his knuckles and he felt a spark of electricity race through his body. It made him shiver and he struggled to remember the question that Itachi had asked him before finally answering. "I punched the mirror after he left."

Itachi hissed at the comment and his fingers tightened momentarily before they relaxed again. Over the past few weeks, his feelings for the blond had increased to the point that it terrified him and the only thought now was that he needed to protect Naruto. There was something pulling him towards the younger male and he wished to further probe the deepening feelings but now his concern was to take down the faux Fate.

His dreams had been plagued with the blond haired beauty and he couldn't stop them even if he wanted. But now more than ever, Naruto was sparking a protectiveness in him that he hadn't known existed. It was a feral feeling that made him wish to destroy the man who had dared harm him and put him through such mental anguish.

"I want you to stay with me, in my realm where you'll be safe," he said huskily as his lips trailed up the tanned column, pausing to press a kiss on the skin. Naruto's heartbeat fluttered wildly under his touch and he wondered if the blond was struggling with the same feelings he was. "I promise that I'll protect you if you'll let me; if you'll trust me."

Naruto's fingers curled at his side as his mind raced. His mind was screaming to give into the feelings and accept the offer while his body wished to arch into the touch; to thread his fingers through the hair that was brushing against his face and just forget everything. His hand rose up slowly and settled into Itachi's hair, allowing his fingers to thread through the inky locks. The simple touch put his body at ease compared to the other touch the false Fate had bestowed on him and his mind decided the answer immediately.

"I trust you."

A soft chuckle sounded through the room and Itachi's head whipped back towards the center of the room. He pushed his body tighter against Naruto's so he could shield him from the mans' gaze but that only made the chuckle turn into a laugh.

"How touching, and don't bother, I can still see him hiding behind you."

With a low growl, Itachi turned around so he could face the intruder but still kept Naruto behind him. Laughter sounded around the room again, making the blond shudder at its sinister sound and he cautiously peeked around Itachi's shoulder. His eyes widened when the man stepped into the lighting and he realized that there were indeed two Fate's and this man was the one that had been tormenting him for the past week.

Those glowing red eyes looked towards him and he glared back; this was the man who had killed Chouji and he wanted nothing more than to beat his face in. Not only had this fake Fate killed one of his close friends, he had also made him believe that Itachi had been the one tormenting him and he could have made a grave mistake if Itachi hadn't realized who had been behind the whole act.

He growled and started forward, ready to give the man a piece of his mind, but Itachi's arm flew out and caught him in the chest. He shook his head and kept him hidden behind his back. Naruto was about to protest that he wasn't a weak child and he could take care of himself, but Itachi shot him a sharp look that made him snap his mouth shut.

Itachi was furious.

Huffing slightly, he stayed behind Itachi and allowed the man to glare at the other Fate. He wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but judging from Itachi's tense stance, he knew it wasn't going to end in rainbows and flowers. Blood was going to be shed and someone was going to get hurt by the end of the night, and Naruto could only hope that Itachi knew what he was doing.

"Hello Itachi," the man said smoothly.

Itachi growled. "Madara."

1. The Way Life is Supposed to be – Bob Schneider


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: slinks in- It's been a while, hasn't it XD. I have no excuse honestly other than life getting in the way and hitting a major wall with most of my Naruto stories. But! The wonderful ImperialMint has been helping me and is making sure that I work on my three multi-chapters and ensuring that I finish them. So everyone go and shower her with love and thank her for kicking my butt into gear.

For those following both Fate and Evil Genius, the latter will be updated next. Hopefully within the next week or two. It's currently being written as we speak.

**Warnings**: Some violence and a small flashback with smut

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything or make any money from it

* * *

Growing up, Naruto always played action games with his friends. They would ride around on their bikes and try to reenact car chases; only to find out that colliding into each other at high speeds never ends well. Instead, they switched to play fighting with sticks, hoping to become the hero's out of the movies they watched.

Ninja's, fighters, or assassins were daily characters in their days in the sun and it wasn't until they frequently came home with welts on their bodies that the rough fights were closely watched. The parents blamed it on the rough personality of growing boys until Temari and her brothers showed up and joined in the fights. Turns out that she sent them home with the most bruises and welts and after that, the parents just gave up.

So long as there were no broken bones or deaths, they were fine to sit back and watch. It was a harmonious tune that played in the summer; screams filled the air alongside cicadas and chirping birds, but it was how they knew that everything was all right. Silence usually meant that someone had gotten hurt a little too harshly or something was broken.

But with age comes the decrease in childhood activities such as that of playing outside. Instead, matured minds drift towards computers and staying indoors until the age where playing outdoors for fun was just a memory. Time was spent at the movie theaters, pools and part time jobs; childhood was nothing more than a stage that was likely to be forgotten.

Naruto however, still enjoyed watching the action movies that had dominated his little child mind; not so much for the memories but for the pure sake of the action itself. After all, to him there was nothing better than watching over the top chase scenes and well-choreographed fights to keep one entertained at night.

However, watching the two dark haired fates tense and ready to fight was making him regret ever wishing to be part of one those scenes.

Red eyes locked with red eyes as the air grew thick with anticipation and Naruto felt a drop of sweat trickle down his face. It wasn't as though he was going to be fighting and he had the upmost faith in Itachi to keep him safe, but he couldn't help but worry for Itachi. Somehow, he knew that Itachi had skills on the battlefield and that he was an excellent fighter but that still didn't quell the fears.

A growl escaped Itachi's throat and it made Madara chuckle even more. "What do you want Madara? You aren't supposed to be here anymore."

Madara grinned. "What's with the tone Itachi? We haven't seen each other since the time of my…untimely retirement and this is how you greet me? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that there was some hostility between us that I didn't know about."

The younger fate frowned. "I don't know what problems you have with him, but I'm telling you now to leave him alone."

Red eyes danced in amusement. "Oh, but you see, I do have a problem with him and I won't rest until it's taken care of."

Itachi's body stiffened at the comment and he felt Naruto shift behind him. He kept his eyes from flickering back towards the blond and made sure that they never left the other Fate in front of him. If his eyes left Madara only once, he would lose him and Naruto would pay the price.

The elder Fate was never known to play fair and Itachi was certain that he wouldn't try to tire him out before facing Naruto. Instead, he would rather destroy the blond now and face Itachi's wrath later. Any underhanded technique that could be thought of would be used and Itachi would have to be ready to take whatever the man tried to throw at him.

"What do you want with him?" he hissed.

Madara shrugged. "I'm under no obligation to tell you, for I am your elder and you shall treat me with the respect that I deserve." His right foot shifted slightly but the move didn't go unnoticed. "However, I tire of all this talk and I'm going to take what is rightfully mine."

Itachi hunched forward a little and shifted his weight so it rested evenly on his legs. His fingers curled slightly as he exhaled slowly and he felt the fabric of Naruto's jacket brush against his fingers. Red eyes flashed as Madara moved just enough for them catch the movement and in the blink of an eye, the elder fate moved.

Naruto felt his breath leave him as Itachi yanked them off to the side and the spot they had been standing in was covered in smoke. Grunting a little, Madara removed his hand from the small crater in the wall and turned to their new spot as an insane grin crossed his face. He shivered at the face but the fear was quickly taken over by adrenaline as Itachi's body tensed behind him.

Another quick movement made him dry heave once his feet touched ground and he realized that they were somewhere on the second story. Itachi's face was oddly calm considering the circumstance they were in and Naruto was about to question it when Itachi grabbed his chin.

"I want you to listen to me Naruto," he said. "It won't take long for Madara to find this spot and I can't keep dodging to protect you. In order for me to defeat him, I'm going to have to attack him and I can't do that with you in the building. When he finds us again, I'll take us back to the first floor and I want you to run."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest and his hands fisted Itachi's shirt. "You want me to run away and leave you alone with this mad man? How do you know that he won't come after me and just leave you alone?"

Itachi chuckled. "As much as it thrills me to know that you're concerned about my wellbeing, you don't have to worry. Times have changed since Madara was fate and I have a few tricks that he doesn't know about. As for your safety, my seal will keep you safe and allow me to locate you after Madara is defeated."

"But-"

His protests were cut off. "I have other lesser beings that work for me and can track you down so they can take you to my home. Madara can't get there, that I am sure of. I'll meet you back there soon, I promise." Dark eyes gazed into his own and Naruto searched them for any hint of a lie.

Finally, Naruto nodded and his hand dropped to his side limply. He couldn't understand the fear that he felt for Itachi for facing Madara alone and Naruto was more surprised that he wasn't scared for his own life. The feeling overwhelmed him and made his head pound as he tried to sort through everything that was rushing through his body.

"You'll be alright?" he asked softly.

Itachi dropped his head closer and nuzzled the blond locks. "I'll be fine and when I get back, I'll try and answer any questions you have. I have a feeling that you're confused."

Naruto nodded and froze when soft lips pressed against his temple. His body pulsed with energy and he found himself leaning into the touch, wishing to press closer to the warm body. Itachi's body tensed though, making Naruto realize that their time together was over and before the heavy footsteps outside the door could come any closer; they vanished from the classroom.

They reappeared next to the front door and before Naruto could say anything else, he felt Itachi shove him through the door. The lock clicked behind him, successfully keeping him out and Naruto quickly turned on his feet. He could hear Itachi's thoughts in his mind, guiding him towards a different location but that too faded as he continued to put distance between himself and the building.

Trees blurred together as he ran and didn't stop until he reached the edge of campus. He found that he couldn't keep running, as that would only put him further away from Itachi and the thought stirred uneasily in his gut. Panting, Naruto slumped against a tree and slid to the ground; his legs shaking due to the exertion that he put on them.

Above him, the moon provided little light as it appeared and disappeared behind the thick clouds and Naruto drew his knees up tight against his chest. All the possible what-ifs were running rampant through his mind as well as the questions that he wanted answered. But right now, he doubted that even Itachi knew the answers to them; he seemed just as confused as Naruto.

With a long sigh, Naruto dropped his head onto his knees and fought the urge to scream. All the conflicting emotions were driving him insane and he wanted to know why he felt the way he did.

Footsteps sounded in front of him and his head jerked up as his muscles tensed. Blue eyes focused on the dark haired male in front of him and his body shifted slightly so he was sitting in a crouch position.

"Hello Naruto," the male spoke.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto snapped.

"I'm Fate," came the answer, an amused tone coating the voice.

The comment earned the man a harsh punch in the stomach and Naruto ducked his head to the side as a punch was returned to him. He yelped as two cold hands gripped his wrists and pushed him back into the ground, making him struggle in the tight grasp.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm on your side," the man hissed.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as they glared into the dark eyes that stared back at him. "Like I believe that one; you look exactly like Itachi and Madara. Same dark eyes and black hair, except yours looks like a chicken butt. I know Itachi is Fate and he said there's only one, so you can't be another one."

"Itachi's wrong," the male said softly. "He hasn't been told everything in order to preserve his sanity and to keep the past at bay, but I assure you that I'm not working with Madara."

Naruto froze at the sentence and the male released his wrists before leaning back to sit on his heels. Naruto ran a critical eye over the new person claiming to be Fate and felt a similar pull towards him as he had felt with Itachi.

"Let's start over," the man said and held out his hand cautiously. "My name is Sasuke and I'm what people would consider the first Fate; the one who spins the threads."

"First fate? There's only one," Naruto stated stubbornly.

"In the past, there were three Fates," Sasuke said slowly. "And today that hasn't changed, although we're simply icons and we truthfully have no purpose but to watch the strings. Itachi was told that he was the only Fate since modern people only refer to Fate as a single deity. Even though there are three, he's not supposed to know about the other two; especially me."

Naruto cocked his head. "Why?"

A pain filled smirk crossed Sasuke's lips. "Because it's part of my punishment; we can't be in the same place together for starters, thus making him believe that there is only one Fate. But times have changed with Madara's appearance and they've granted me a temporary leniency."

A loud, unsettling howl echoed throughout the campus grounds, sending chills up Naruto's spine. Sasuke's head turned in the direction of the sound and frowned as another voice answered the first howl. Silence overtook the area, making his frown grow deeper and when nothing responded back to the first two cries, he stood up quickly.

"Those are Madara's minions; Itachi must be keeping him bay too long and he's getting worried that you'll escape him again." Sasuke stated. "We need to get somewhere safe before they find us here."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere with you; the only fate I trust is Itachi."

Sasuke sighed. "If I was any danger to you, Itachi's seal wouldn't let me anywhere near you. I'm the lesser of two evils right now." He hesitated for a moment before muttering a soft word that Naruto could barely make out.

Naruto stood up quickly, blue eyes flashing at the foreign word tacked to the end of the sentence. "What did you call me? It's an insult, isn't it?"

Sadness flickered in the dark eyes as pale lips tilted upwards in a fake smile and his head turned to the side to hide the pain on his face. "Yeah, it was."

Naruto snorted. "Bastard."

A hollow laugh sounded from Sasuke's throat as he grabbed Naruto's wrist and performed a quick hand signal. Naruto felt his breath leave him again and when his feet hit the ground, he stumbled and landed harshly on his butt. Wincing, he looked up to retort the harsh treatment, but words died in his mouth as his eyes settled on the landscape surrounding him.

They were in a large, open room that opened up to the outdoors. Off in the distance, Naruto could see a large lake with a short dock leading out from the edge of the water and somewhere on the side of the house, he could hear a water fountain trickling water into a pond. He jumped as a hollow clunk sounded before the area fell silent again and he fought the urge to stand up and explore.

"We'll go sit outside by the pond since it's nicer there," Sasuke said and led the way down the open hallways.

"Where are we?" Naruto asked, still looking around the new place.

The dark haired fate paused as they reached a small wooden dock that hovered over the water and several fish came up to the edge. "We're at a place that holds fond and awful memories for me."

"So why do you stay here if this place causes you so much pain?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke glanced over at him and sat down, gesturing for Naruto to do the same. "Because it reminds me every day of the mistakes that I made in my past and is part of my punishment." He waited for Naruto to sit down and once he was seated, he glanced out of the small pond. "I know that you have questions and I'll try to answer them as best I can, but before I answer your questions, you first have to understand my past; and how it's affecting everything today."

Multiple strings looped around the area they sat in and Naruto watched as they all left from a single spot off in a distance. He wondered if that area was the origin for all the strings before they detoured off to Itachi and why the elder male didn't know the reason for his own existence. Finally, he drew his attention back to Sasuke and nodded at him.

"My mistakes are the reason Madara is still after you, the reason why Itachi can't know about me and why history is missing a large chunk of knowledge." He started. "Once there were ninjas; powerful people that could walk on water, summon animals, and use the elements in the heat of battle. During that time, there were nine great beasts known as biju, each sealed inside a different person called a Jinchuuriki," Sasuke started.

"I was teammates with one of these people and he was my closest friend growing up. After a…misunderstanding with my older brother, I became bent on destroying him and gaining the power to do so. In the end, I joined someone I shouldn't have to gain the power I needed and eventually I killed my brother; that's how Madara found me."

Sasuke paused to regain his composure as pain flashed through his eyes at the memory of that day. Even though millennia had passed, he still remembered it as though it were yesterday and the raw pain and guilt still tore at him today. Knowing that he could never apologize to Itachi and could only watch the man from afar made the hurt much worse.

Sighing, he pushed the pain away once again and continued. "Madara offered me the tools to avenge my brother and I blindingly took it; revenge was the only thing on my mind growing up and knowing that my brother had been falsely accused helped to stroke the right embers of hate once again. He always knew which buttons to press and like the idiot I was, I never questioned him."

"During the years that I was gone, my friend was always trying to bring me back home; no matter what I did to him. Even after I almost killed him, he still chased after me like a fool. But he was a Jinchuuriki and Madara needed them, so I betrayed his trust and brought him back to his death. When his beast; the nine tailed fox, Kyuubi was pulled from his body, it split into nine separate pieces; sealing a piece of itself away into my friend before it vanished."

"Now that Madara had all the great beasts, he unleashed his wrath upon the ninja world with me at the front lines. I was the one responsible for bringing about the destruction of the world I had grown up in and I had unknowingly handed Madara the final key when I betrayed my friend. I used his blind devotion for me to betray him, resulting in his death."

Naruto shifted as Sasuke bit his lip harshly to keep the emotions at bay while past memories tormented him. He was never sure whose death hurt the most; Itachi's or Naruto's. The eldest Uchiha had promised that Naruto would live, but as he watched emotionless from that blasted statue as Madara plunged the sword into the ink seal, he realized that the man was more twisted and slippery than his previous mentor.

"What happened after that?" Naruto asked quietly, drawing Sasuke away from his thoughts.

Sasuke hummed. "Despite all of Madara's knowledge on the beasts, he still didn't know everything and in the end, they rebelled against him. By the time the dust settled, there wasn't anything left and the once proud ninja world was flattened. The biju ended up sealing away the thing that gave ninja's their talent and vanished with the times."

Naruto was silent as he thought about the story. It certainly didn't answer any questions but instead brought up hundreds more. A loud howling noise shook the air around them and Naruto started while Sasuke cast a glance to the sky. Above them, the blue sky flashed red momentarily and dark eyes glanced back towards the small pond.

Despite his skill as the previous Fate, Madara was reaching his limit do to his age. Itachi was stronger physically and close to Madara when it came to genius as well, but the man would fight dirty. He would stop at nothing in order to get at Naruto and the power he had hidden away.

"Do you know if Itachi is alright?" Naruto finally asked.

"He's holding Madara off still. Either Madara is losing his temper and is getting sloppy or Itachi just dealt a powerful strike."

Naruto curled his legs underneath him and glanced back at Sasuke. "Why does Madara want me so badly? Itachi said that he was trying to make me break, but even he didn't know the reason why."

Pale fingers reached out to unzip his jacket and he pushed a hand past the folds. They paused over the strongly beating heart to confirm that the flux was still there before answering. "When the Kyuubi split itself into nine pieces, he sent the last piece of energy into his host, even though the body was dead. At the time, we thought nothing of it, but during the battle we realized that more than that happened." Sasuke spoke carefully.

"Instead of sealing the Kyuubi's energy, Madara was able to channel the energy into his own body. When the animals rebelled against him, he was able to use that energy to fight on par with them, using about five of the parts that were in his body. So while all the biju are now back in their realm, only the Kyuubi remains; locked on Earth until the last piece is released."

Another flare across the sky made him pause as he watched as the concern flicker over Naruto's face and he had to remind himself that Itachi would be all right. He was worried about his brother yes, but this information had to be passed now since he was the only one who knew about it besides Madara. If Itachi didn't know about the past, there was no way he could protect Naruto.

Sasuke cleared his throat and waited until Naruto focused once more on him. "As the millennia have passed, Madara has slowly used up the Kyuubi's energy and is on his last one; the eighth piece. The ninth one has been lost to him, as Kyuubi's last act made its host vanish throughout the ages, until now." He watched as Naruto turned his head towards him and he could see the gears working in his head. As much as he wanted the old, knuckle headed Naruto back; he wasn't allowed to say anything until Naruto asked the right question.

Until now, those memories were forbidden but pressing times allowed the biju to bend their rules and had enabled Sasuke with the tools to unlock those memories. Once Naruto asked the right question, Sasuke would give the memories back and Naruto would remember everything. The last fight, his death, the Kyuubi's screams, and his feelings for Itachi. Everything would come back. And then Itachi's mental gate that kept his own memories at bay would be released.

"You're making it sound like I'm the host," Naruto said and looked at Sasuke. "Am I?"

Sasuke smirked. "It's amazing how time has made you smarter." He reached forward and held his hand before Naruto's face. Small blue flames covered his fingers and he glanced at Naruto. "This will hurt," he stated simply before covering Naruto's face with his hand.

A loud scream left Naruto's throat, the sound sending chills down Sasuke's spine. It was the painful noise as memories worked their way back into Naruto's memory, joining with ones from this time period and mixing together. The blond's body tipped over, landing on the wooden deck and twitching as his muscles started to remember everything they once knew. They jerked and twitched with each passing moment as chakra flowed through them from the piece of Kyuubi locked inside Naruto until Sasuke could feel the chakra flowing freely through Naruto's body without his help.

The blue around his fingers faded away and Sasuke pulled his hand back, leaving Naruto alone to pant and gasp for breath on the deck. Sweat made the blond locks damp and Sasuke shifted his weight, preparing for Naruto wake up. With those memories back, there was no doubt that Naruto would be mad and would want to attack him. Sasuke had caused the demise of their world and had led to his death. The blond had every right to hate him.

For a moment, the only sound was Naruto's heavy breathing and Sasuke shifted once more. The second the area grew quiet, his senses were on high alert, and Sasuke's gaze traveled to Naruto's face. Furious red eyes glared at him and Sasuke only had a second to wait before Naruto attacked.

"You bastard!" Naruto scream, throwing a punch at Sasuke's head.

The older male danced out of the way, making Naruto even more upset and he raced after the Uchiha. His legs were weaker than they once were, but this era didn't require the same demand for physical strength compared to the time he was remembering. It came as no surprise that he was winded easily and the weakness in his current body made Naruto growl. He may have looked and sounded the same, but this body was weak compared to the one he had in the past.

"Explain everything," Naruto demanded, glaring up at Sasuke who was safely perched on the roof. "Why is all this happening?"

"I told you that that time in history was destroyed by the biju and memories were locked. After your death, it was the biju's intent to give everyone a chance at a normal life. Itachi though was given the job as Fate because he had made the ultimate sacrifice and they didn't want to put him through another life," Sasuke stated. "They thought this would be easier after everything he had been through."

Naruto scoffed but didn't stop there. "And you?" he asked. "Did they think that your betrayal deserved an easy after life as well?"

Sasuke frowned. "This is a punishment for me. I'm not allowed to leave this place, see anyone that I once knew, or even apologize to Itachi. I'm considered lost and they gave me eternal damnation, forced to watch everyone I knew grow old while I stay the same and sit in silence, forced to relive my memories every day." He glanced to the side**. "**I watched for you and Itachi, before he became the second fate, but you two were lost in the stream."

"Itachi wasn't fate to begin with?" Naruto asked curiously.

Sasuke shook his head. "Fate was mine and Madara's job, seeing as we fucked up our world. My job was to watch the threads spin themselves while Madara was forced to channel them to the mortals" He scowled. "Then Madara learned what he could do with the strings and the biju shifted him into the job of the third fate; cutting of the threads. But Madara doesn't know the pleasures of cutting a string in that job. Every time he goes after one, it breaks away into nothing; leaving him forever chasing the threads."

Naruto collapsed on the deck, his brief energy already been spent and Sasuke cautiously approached him. "Then what happened?" Naruto asked, watching as Sasuke settled away from him.

A low hum left Sasuke's throat. "With Madara gone, Itachi took his place and assumed the position as though he was meant to hold it. The ones who gave him the job never mentioned anything about Madara or myself, and Itachi is under the impression that Madara is gone and he is the only Fate." Sasuke chuckled lowly. "That was over hundreds of years ago, when everyone was still debating about the shape of the world and the position of the planet in the sky. Now though, Madara is running out of tails to keep himself anchored to anything and once that last part of energy runs dry, he will be destroyed for the last time. Keeping him as fate while he chased the strings for his own sadistic pleasure was the easiest way for the biju to keep track of him."

Naruto nodded slowly, understanding everything that Sasuke had mentioned. It didn't surprise him that the biju would do something like this, especially as Madara had caused them all pain. "But now he's after the piece that Kyuubi gave me," he said slowly. "Hoping that he can use that power to gain control of his own destiny once more."

Sasuke chuckled. "You're faster in this life than you were in the previous one, Naruto," he stated. "The last piece of Kyuubi is what Madara wants. When you die, Kyuubi will die with you and will be able to return to the rest of his kin. But if Madara gets a hold of you, he'll have power for centuries to come. Enough time to plunge the world into chaos."

Naruto fell silent, taking in the information. His mind was racing; making sure it absorbed the information quick enough to understand it before time ran out. The way Sasuke was speaking made it sound as though time was short. Madara already knew about him and Naruto couldn't imagine the man waiting much longer. If the last piece was almost gone, Madara didn't have much time to wait.

"Do you regret what you did?" he finally asked, glancing at Sasuke. The younger Uchiha had stayed in isolation for so long that he would have had plenty of time to think about everything that he had done and Naruto could only hope that Sasuke had realized the magnitude of everything.

Sasuke shook his head. "No words would ever be enough to say how much I regret what I did. I'm forced to remember every day and live with the hurt that I betrayed you." A weak chuckle left his mouth. "I killed you and took away Itachi from you."

"And you can't see Itachi," Naruto stated. He watched as Sasuke shook his head. "What would you say if you could see him again?"

"I'd tell you both that I was sorry of course, to which you would probably punch me in the face." Sasuke started and laughed, knowing all too well that Naruto would indeed punch him. He chuckled a few more times before his voice turned serious. "And then I would do something so against my family's nature; something that would have my father rolling in his grave."

Naruto raised his head up at the new tone that had taken over Sasuke and he jumped when he felt a heavy body settle on top of him but he didn't move, sensing that Sasuke wasn't being hostile. Sasuke's head hovered next to his and his arms wound around his body. "I'd fall to my knees and beg you two to forgive me, pleading if I needed to," his voice started to crack and Naruto found his arms circling around Sasuke's shaking body.

"And if we didn't?" he asked softly, feeling the words leave him without hesitation.

"I'd start to cry," was the even softer answer and Naruto flinched when he felt warm, wet drops fall on his neck. Sasuke tightened his grip, "Please Naruto, I'm so sorry; I never thought I would fall that deep. I was a child; a spoiled little boy who didn't know when to stop, even when I had everything I had ever needed; when I had you."

"Sas-"

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I messed up and I know it now. Everything I did only made your life worse, I dragged you through hell as you tried to bring me back and in the end I betrayed you." His body shook but he plowed forward, knowing that this would be the only chance he had. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Naruto's grip tightened slightly as he tried to find the right words once again. "I can't forgive you yet," he said. "But with time, I'm sure the anger will fade. Hate and pain only cause more hate," he stated, remember the conversation with Pein.

Sasuke rolled off him and rubbed furiously at his eyes. "Forgive me, I got carried away."

Naruto didn't say anything but simple nodded while he let the other male have some time to compose himself. Naruto knew more than anyone that Sasuke wasn't used to crying or spilling emotions, let alone in public and he could only imagine how hard it was for him. Rolling onto his side, Naruto rested his head on his arm and tried to figure out his own feelings.

Everything that he had once felt in the past had come rushing back and Naruto had the biggest urge to run off to find Itachi again. He remembered everything and knew why Itachi had felt so familiar in the first place. He wanted nothing more than to pull the elder Uchiha into his arms, to feel that familiar body against his. It was too long and Naruto's body cried out for the man.

It didn't help that Itachi had been alone for the past few centuries, and the thought tore at Naruto's heart. It wasn't fair to Itachi after he had suffered through so much and Naruto wanted to once more stay by the man's side, reassuring him that he wasn't going to go anywhere. Make it to where Itachi never had to feel alone again

"Does Itachi know anything?" Naruto asked finally. "And if not, how can I tell him? It's not fair that he doesn't know anything and has to be in the dark."

Sasuke chuckled. "The biju put a system in place that helped to keep the memories secure and that if, for any reason, either of the gates had to be unlocked, both your memories would come back at once." He nodded. "They figured it wasn't fair to keep on in the dark while the other remembered and suffered alone."

Naruto grunted. "Good." He stood up and glanced at Sasuke. "I want to go see him."

Sighing, Sasuke stood up as well. "I'll take you to Itachi's station then. When he finishes and tries to locate you here, he won't find you since you're in a place that doesn't exist to him."

"Are they still fighting?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke craned his head to the side so the horizon appeared vertical. "I can't see. Too much energy is blocking out the viewer that allows me to see down on earth." He watched as Naruto tried to mimic his position to see what he was looking at and failing miserably at it. "Come on, we need to go."

Naruto followed Sasuke back into the house and jumped when a hand circled around his wrist. He shivered at the cold touch but allowed himself to be pulled closer before he felt his body jerk harshly. When they landed once again on ground, his head spun and he felt the signs of bile rising up his throat. Sasuke pushed him forward so his head rested between his knees and he sucked in deep breaths.

"Sorry, that's the only way of travel and if you're not used to it, you'll get a bad case of vertigo." Sasuke stated and tossed Naruto a smirk. "But once the chakra fully sets in, your body will be used to the speed once more."

"I never would have guessed." Naruto said sarcastically as he stood back up carefully. "Where are we?"

The air that surrounded them was foggy and damp, nothing at all like the homey and bright place they had just left. Dead trees rose from the ground as moss draped from their branches in long veins. It was haunting looking and Naruto shivered as the wet feeling crept under his thin jacket. He didn't like the looks of this place and the thought that Sasuke had betrayed him quickly rose to his mind.

"What are we doing here?" He demanded harshly, "You said we were going to Itachi's station."

Sasuke held his hands up to calm Naruto down. "I physically can't go into Itachi's area, since I'm not allowed near him, but I can take you as far as the gate. However, this is as close as I can get by jumping through space, we'll have to walk the rest of the way."

Naruto's nose wrinkled at the swamp water that circled around his ankles and he seriously doubted that the murky water was safe. When he voiced his concern to Sasuke, he simply answered that the mark Itachi gave him would keep them safe. With that, he started forward easily, leaving Naruto to pick through the water, hoping that he didn't trip over any hidden roots.

It was a slow trek through the dead forest and more than once Naruto almost fell into the dark waters, but Sasuke was there to catch him. While he shot annoyed glares at Sasuke when he laughed at him, Naruto was thankful that Sasuke was there to stop him from falling. His body and chakra were still unconnected, making him feel awkward and Naruto still didn't trust the area even though he had Itachi's tattoo hickey on his body.

When they finally cleared the waters, they stepped out into a familiar looking sight and Naruto blinked at it a few times to make sure he was seeing things properly. After making sure that he wasn't seeing things, he pointed towards the house behind the gates. "Did we walk in a circle or something? We're back at your place."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, this is Itachi's home; I can tell because the air isn't filled with the malice that mine is filled with."

Naruto cocked his head. "What malice? It seemed calm there to me."

"That's because I brought you home at the right time, when my memories of that place are calm and happy," Sasuke answered and winced slightly. "The other half of the time, I'm reminded of the horrible times that I spent there after Itachi left and when my brother fought with my father. It's part of my punishment."

A soft 'oh' left Naruto's mouth and he glanced away from Sasuke, letting the older male collect his thoughts.

Sasuke waved a hand in the air, dismissing the sentence. "It doesn't bother me much anymore; I've learned to deal with it. But this is as far as I can go. You on the other hand are allowed to go past these gates and go inside his home."

Naruto nodded and his fingers twitched slightly. He wanted to go on so he could see Itachi again. Knowing everything on their past and knowing that Itachi would remember him again made Naruto that more eager to see Itachi once more.

"One last thing," Sasuke said. "Please take care of him and never leave his side again Naruto. For centuries, he's been alone and with you here again, the empty void will vanish and he'll feel whole again."

"I'll stay with him, I promise." Naruto stated. "For all of our sakes."

"Thank you," Sasuke whispered hoarsely and turned to go.

"Wait Sasuke." Naruto said, making Sasuke pause in his steps. "Don't keep yourself hung up on the past. I know you feel bad about what you did, but sulking about it won't make you feel any better."

Sasuke smirked and faced him. "Still a loser," he said and disappeared in a puff of smoke before Naruto could yell at him.

Grumbling at the man once the smoke cleared out, Naruto stomped through the gates; feeling a small ripple of energy pass through him as he did so. Finding the layout exactly similar to that of Sasuke's house, Naruto quickly found his way through the maze of hallways and out by the pond. Several fish came up to the corner of the deck and Naruto sat down before rolling onto his stomach.

The sunlight bounced off the scales of the fish and Naruto traced meaningless patterns on the water's surface. He wasn't sure how much time had passed while he was at Sasuke's but it felt like hours. Surely a fight between two people couldn't drag out for hours on end, something had to give.

Naruto closed his eyes as the sun warmed his back until his body started to get too hot and he pulled his jacket off. Balling it up for a makeshift pillow, Naruto tucked it under his head and dropped his head back on the fabric. He was tired and the heat from the wooden deck on his stomach and the sun on his back wasn't helping things much. Blue eyes began to droop once again and Naruto finally succumbed into sleep.

* * *

_Trees flashed by at a high speed as Naruto approached the desired location. He only had a few precious short hours to hit the allotted time before his target had to leave and Naruto wasn't going to miss this chance. Picking up speed, he darted from branch to branch with little disregard to the moon above him; the only thing on his mind was making it in time._

_Dropping down in front of the small wooden cabin, he scanned for any unwelcome guest before moving inside. _

"_You're late." A dark voice purred in the shadows. "I was worried you couldn't make it."_

_Naruto tugged at his headband and let it fall to the floor as another hand came up to the hem of his shirt. "Tsunade was yelling at me for not turning my mission report in on time again. I had to bribe her with a week of sake in order for her to let me turn it in next week instead of tonight."_

_A chuckle sounded from the corner as the shadow stalked closer to help him discard the rest of his clothes that still hung on his body. Swift fingers untied the knot on his pants before traveling up to lace through blond locks as the man drew Naruto in for a tender kiss. "I missed you."_

_Naruto leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around already naked shoulders. "I missed you too. There was a rumor that Sasuke has been sniffing around for news regarding your location."_

"_What would you do if he found me, love?" The older male asked, nibbling on a tanned lobe. "Would you stop him and risk exposing our secret, or would you let him continue his quest and kill me, while putting up an indifferent face when news came back that I was dead."_

_Naruto shook his head. "You know I can't answer that; I'm going to save you both."_

"_Naruto." The shadow muttered. "You can't save me now; I've been wanted for too long and revealing the truth behind that night would tear the village apart. Besides, I told you what I must do."_

_The younger male looked to side and slapped the probing hands away in slight anger. "Yes, you did tell me and I still don't understand." Soft fingers cupped Naruto's face, bringing his attention back to the gentle face and he buried his head into the strong chest. "I'm sorry, I'm just selfish."_

_There was a gentle tug at his wrist and Naruto felt himself being led to the soft futon that lay on the floor. "I wish to be selfish too Naruto, but I have to do this." He was lowered to the ground and a weight straddled his hips. "But this isn't the place to debate this; we only have a few hours before we're separated again."_

_A soft kiss was placed on his knuckles before lips descended upon his body, taking a nipple into his mouth while the other was teased with talented fingers. Naruto squirmed under the touch and cried out as the mouth moved lower, circling around the sensitive seal. The black ink bled into the skin at the touch and fire raced through Naruto's veins, down to his nether regions._

_Naruto arched his hips as his lover grasped the hardened length and he heard a chuckle above him. "Hard already love? Were you holding out for me?"_

"_Shut up," Naruto snapped. "I'm not about to use a bushin to get off."_

_The older male hummed. "And I'm glad you don't; it would make me somewhat jealous."_

_Naruto stared at the man and was about to comment on his possessiveness when wet heat engulfed his length, making him shout in surprise. He trembled under the touches as his lover hollowed out his cheeks and sucked harshly on the engorged length, making him pant. Naruto knew that last time, it had been his turn to play and call the shots, so this time it was only fair that the other was allowed to control the actions tonight._

"_Ita-"_

_His breath left him as a slicked finger worked its way inside him, massaging the insides as it searched for the spot that would make him scream. Heat licked at Naruto's body and he felt the signs of the impeding orgasm start to work its way through him. He tried to fight down the urge to cum, but when his lover drug his teeth over the red tip, blue eyes snapped open as Naruto came harshly, crying out his lovers name._

"_Itachi!"_

* * *

"Fuck!"

Naruto bolted upright as the dream quickly left him and he panted harshly. His body was tingling from the effects that it had had on his body. Naruto shifted slightly and grimaced at the sticky feeling in his boxers, making him groan and drop back down onto the bed.

He blinked and held up the fabric of the blanket, examining it and trying to figure out when he had crawled into the bed. Last he knew, he had been laying outside by the pond before he fell asleep and had that dream.

Groaning, he tossed an arm over his face as his cheeks burned once again. It was a memory of times past, one right before Itachi left to go fight Sasuke and was one of the last times Naruto had seen Itachi alive. The raw emotions that he had felt during the dreams were strong enough to make Naruto feel the ache at not being able to save Itachi from his doomed destiny.

He moved to sit up and grunted when the sheets tugged harshly at his lap. Naruto turned his head to the side to see what was holding the sheets down and nearly jumped away in shock and surprise. But that shock quickly bled into fear and concern as his eyes swept over the bloodied body lying next to him.

"Itachi!"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: This was supposed to be up three days ago but work kept me late and then had to help tutor someone last night so I didn't get back until late. I'm sorry for the late update! But I just finished the next chapter today, so it needs some editing and then it'll be posted too.

**Warnings**: Blood and some light smut

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto or make money from this.

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There were many things that Naruto worried about growing up. When he was younger, they were simple things, such as the monster that lived under his bed or how he could sneak another cookie out of the cookie jar without his mother knowing. She always seemed to know no matter how sneaky he was. As he grew older, those worries changed and grew into more complex things. Such as finding someone to take to the dance or getting his driver's license. Those were important things in high school until the worry about getting into a good college came around. That and the issue of money, but Naruto tried not to think about that.

The worries only continued to grow once he entered college, as life suddenly seemed to change. He was expected to take care of himself and it was assumed that when Naruto graduated, he would move on in the world and start to make a living for himself. He would leave behind the life as a student and truly enter the working world. That terrified Naruto more than anything, seeing as he didn't know what he wanted with his future. What college student truly knew what they wanted? And really, what person knew for that matter?

Sure it was easy to say that you wanted to be rich, or have a successful job. But how you went about that was a different story. There were so many options that you had to look at and to Naruto, wanting to be rich was just as hard as wanting to have a normal, middle class life. You never truly know what you want right away. How often did someone enter college with the mindset of leaving with a certain degree, only to graduate with something completely opposite?

Naruto felt as though it happened too much and it was that reason why he was worried about the future; along with the rest of the general population. Didn't everyone worry about the future at some point or another? You almost had to be crazy not to think about such things.

But all those worries now seemed pointless compared to the problem at hand. Right now, all of Naruto's focus and energy was on the person lying before him, covered in blood and wounds. There was too much of the red liquid and Naruto could only hope that most of it wasn't Itachi's but instead Madara's. Because if anyone deserved to die, it was that bastard. Especially after everything he had done. Not just to the world Naruto once called home, but to Itachi and himself. And Naruto refused to let Itachi die because of Madara; not after the man should've died so long ago.

Throwing the blankets off his body, Naruto sat up straighter and quickly looked over Itachi. The man was breathing shallowly and had a deep cut to his side where he was losing most of his blood. That would have to be fixed first and Naruto looked at his hands before glancing back down at Itachi. If his memories hadn't come back the way they had earlier that day, there was no doubt that Naruto would've been panicking. He only had a small amount of medical training in this lifetime and it wouldn't be enough to save Itachi.

But now, Naruto had something more than just a meager amount of medical knowledge to save Itachi. He had his memories and chakra and that would be enough for right now. Although he had never been the best at medical jutsu, it would still be better than throwing gauze and bandages on Itachi's wounds and hoping for the best.

"Alright Kyuubi," Naruto muttered lowly, hoping that the remnant of Kyuubi could hear him and guide him. It had been ages since he had the familiar feeling of chakra in his body and just as long since he used it. And Naruto could only hope that it came back easily, just like riding a bike; or so he hoped.

He pulled his shirt off his body and tore it into pieces before running to the kitchen. The wound would still have to be cleaned before he could tend to it with the chakra, otherwise Naruto wouldn't be able to see the wound and how deep it went. He dug through the cabinets until he found a bowl that he could use and filled it with hot water. It wasn't the best but for now it would have to do.

Naruto moved through the halls, walking quickly and trying not to spill any of the water in the bowl. He made it back to Itachi's side in moments and started to work without delay. The floor was already stained a deep red from the blood that pooled around Itachi and soaked into Naruto's pants the moment he knelt next to the older man but it was easily ignored. The main focus now was to clear away the blood and find out how bad the wound was.

The first piece of shirt was dipped into the water and Naruto hissed slightly as the hot water burned his skin. The discomfort was pushed aside though in favor of wringing the water out and running the cloth over the pale skin. Even for an Uchiha, the skin was too pale and Naruto nibbled on his lower lip as he continued to wipe away the blood.

He paused to rinse out the cloth that was already tinted red, watching as the water turned a light pink color before Naruto continued the process again. There was no telling what made this wound, something real from the world they were currently living in, or a weapon from their past. Madara seemed to enjoy living in the time when he was still powerful, so Naruto was more inclined to believe that it had been made by a sword that Madara owned.

Naruto paused as Itachi stirred under his touch and found himself holding his breath as dark eyes fluttered open. "Itachi," he breathed, pleased to see the man still awake after the amount of blood he lost. "Don't move. You've been injured badly and I need to tend to your wounds."

Itachi blinked once but continued to watch him, making Naruto smile slightly. That gaze was familiar and comforting, something that Naruto remembered after all these years and made warmth spread throughout his chest. There was recognition in those eyes and Naruto knew that Itachi's memories had come back as well.

"Do you remember?" Itachi rasped as Naruto dipped a clean cloth into the bowl and his eyes tracked every movement.

Naruto nodded. "I do," he answered and paused in his cleaning. He lifted Itachi's hand up to his face and pressed it against his cheek. "I've missed you so much. Since I heard about your death, it hurt to keep on moving forward, but I knew that you wouldn't want me to let myself go just because of your death. But it was still so hard."

Itachi smiled softly. "And even after all that, none of my plans succeeded. Sasuke still ended up in Madara's grasp. I failed."

Naruto shook his head quickly. "No, you didn't fail. Because if you had, then we wouldn't be here today. We would've been destined never to meet again." He squeezed Itachi's hand tighter. "And I can't stand the fact of going on in another lifetime without you." He pressed a quick kiss to Itachi's hand before lowering it carefully to the floor again. They would have time later for talking about the past, for now, he needed to heal Itachi.

The older male was silent as he finished cleaning the wound, wincing only slightly when Naruto pressed too hard. His eyes though never left Naruto's face and Naruto felt comfort in them. Their gaze wasn't awkward or heavy, but filled with an emotion that Naruto hadn't seen since Itachi's death. It was hard to imagine anyone else looking at him in such a way and Naruto found that he couldn't picture it; nor did he like it. Itachi was the only one he wanted; even after living this new life.

He pulled away from the wound, now that the blood was cleaned up and set the ruined pieces of fabric to the side, along with the bowl of tinted water. Taking in a deep breath, Naruto glanced at Itachi one last time before turning back to the wound that demanded his attention. "Right. Here goes nothing," he murmured and focused his energy.

The feel of chakra moving through his body once again was strange at first, but not unwelcomed. It felt like coming home again and Naruto felt as if he opened his eyes again, he would find himself back in Konaha and all of this would've been one strange dream that he would laugh at with his friends. But a quick look proved that this was indeed real and Naruto forced himself to focus once more.

It coiled in his stomach before moving through his veins like fire. It embraced him and whispered to him memories that were once forgotten, allowing him to remember everything that had once been lost to him. The chakra moved carefully, as it realized its purpose and coated his hand with a fine layer of green chakra.

Taking in a deep breath, Naruto moved his hand closer to Itachi's body, letting muscle memory guide his movements. Despite the centuries that had passed since he had last used the chakra, it was still ingrained his mind and muscles, and his body remembered it well. Itachi's skin was cool under his touch as the chakra slowly worked to heal the large wound and Naruto watched it carefully, even though he wished to keep his eyes on Itachi's face. He kept telling himself that there would be time later to gaze at the older male, but it didn't stop the desire from settling in his mind.

He clung to it, knowing that it would be a reward of sorts, to hold Itachi again after so long, but only after he had finished with his task. Patience had never been a virtue when he had been a ninja and it had taken him years to learn to quell the urges that told him just to jump blindly into battle without first looking over everything and then making a plan. Even after learning such things, it was a hard effort on his part to control that desire and make sure that he didn't resort back to old habits.

But with the matter of his lover's life on the line, Naruto could force himself to be patient. There would be a time and place for them to touch each other again, but that couldn't happen if he hurried and messed up. He would either have to start again, which would take even longer, or he could mess up and end up killing Itachi in the process. And that was something that Naruto didn't want to happen.

His chakra wavered slightly and Naruto focused harder, making the chakra stronger as he worked. Even though the chakra was familiar once more, he was still weak in his handling of it, and already, Naruto could feel sweat dripping down his back. His eyes flickered briefly to Itachi as the man lay still under his hands, and their eyes met for a moment before Naruto turned away again; not wanting to get distracted.

"Almost there," he stated, sweat trickling down his face. It dripped off his chin and landed on his knee, but it was ignored in favor of watching the skin knit back together under his hands.

"I'm fine now, Naruto," Itachi murmured, not wanting the younger male to keep straining himself. "I'll be fine if you stop, I promise."

Naruto shook his head. "No. I'm not stopping until you're healed, no matter what," he answered. "I will not lose you again. Not when I have the power to save you this time." They had been given another chance; another life. And Naruto wasn't going to waste that chance. He would take what they were given and make the most of it; even if he ended up passing out because he wore himself out.

He let out a gasp as the skin finished piecing together under his hands and he rocked back on his heels. The largest of wounds was taken care of now and that was the most pressing concern. Now Naruto could turn his attention to the smaller ones before letting Itachi relax. He stood up so he could find the bandages, but was halted as a hand wrapped around his wrist.

"Don't kill yourself, Naruto," Itachi said firmly. "The worst of my wounds are taken care of and the rest are small enough that bandages will suffice. I will not sit by and watch you kill yourself for my sake when I no longer have any life threatening wounds."

Blue eyes stared at Itachi before Naruto laughed slightly and rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose we're both stubborn fools in this case," he stated. "Neither one of us is willing to back down for the other. But that's just who we are and we care for others."

A small smile spread across Itachi's face and he nodded. "Exactly." He waved his hand. "Now come here."

Naruto's eyes danced happily as he leaned down without further thought and pressed his lips to Itachi's, sighing in pleasure at the simple touch. Itachi's lips were warm and soft against his, just like Naruto remembered and he found his eyes closing as he pressed harder against the older male. He wanted to stay like this, body close to Itachi's as they kissed softly, forgetting for a moment that the outside world existed. It was just simply them and after all the centuries apart, they had each other once more.

They broke apart and gazed at each other for a brief moment before their lips pressed against each other once again. This time, it was harder and more passionate compared to the soft and sensual one they shared earlier. Lust and want were present and the desire to hold each other was strong, but Itachi's wounds were quick to remind them that they couldn't go that far just yet.

But they were fine with simple and innocent touches, and Naruto let his fingers stroke over Itachi's cheeks, taking in every feature of the man that he knew so well. Nothing had changed with time and a pleasure filled sigh left Naruto's mouth as he pressed his lips against Itachi's again, his tongue tracing against the seam of Itachi's mouth.

The older male groaned softly and Naruto slipped his tongue into Itachi's mouth, moaning lowly in his throat as their tongues brushed over each other. Itachi didn't taste the way Naruto remembered, but that was probably due to the different foods that they ate in the time compared to their own era. But it wasn't a bad thing and Naruto found himself quickly growing used to the new taste that was currently Itachi. He committed it to memory and deepened the kiss as Itachi started to fight back, their tongues battling for dominance.

Tongues curled around each other and they breathed heavily through their noses, not wanting to break apart for a moment. In some small part of Naruto's brain, there was the fear that if he pulled away and blinked, Itachi would vanish from under him and they would both be left alone again. But the thought was pushed away for now as Naruto focused instead on the here and now, and that right now was Itachi.

Reluctantly, they pulled away before things could escalate and Naruto offered a small smile to Itachi. "Later," he murmured against Itachi's lips and paused to lap at the wetness on the swollen lips. "Once your wounds are healed, we will continue where we left off and you can take me long into the night while I scream your name for everyone to hear."

A fine tremble worked its way through Itachi's body, showing Naruto that his words had had an effect on the older male and he smirked slightly. He placed a quick, chaste kiss on Itachi's lips before standing up and moving away from the older male. He needed to find bandages so he could tend to the rest of the wounds without the aid of chakra. Tomorrow he could tend to them, but right now, he was too drained to do much else. If he tried again, he would surely pass out.

He smirked as he felt Itachi's eyes train on his ass as he walked and wiggled his hips slightly as he left the room, just to give Itachi a little show and a reminder of what was waiting for them later on. Once out of the room, he trotted down the hallway so he could find some bandages and wraps so he could take better care of Itachi. The sooner the older male was better, the sooner they could reacquaint themselves again.

Naruto paused and felt his shoulders sag. But would such a thing be possible right now? Madara was still out there somewhere and knew that Naruto had the last piece of Kyuubi he needed in order to live for a few more centuries and cause havoc. Would they get a chance to enjoy themselves while Madara was still free? He snorted and started walking again.

It was highly unlikely that the biju who allowed their memories to come back would allow them to indulge in such a way when they still had to face Madara. No doubt, they would be expected to move as soon as Itachi's wounds were healed. They were already running short on time and it was only a matter of time before Madara tracked them down. They needed to attack first and in order to do that; they couldn't afford to allow themselves such pleasure.

Frustration mounted inside Naruto but ebbed away as he continued to walk down the hall. It wasn't the biju's fault, as they simply wished to keep the world from facing the same danger as it had in the past and Naruto didn't blame them for thinking such things. As it was now, they were the only ones who could stop Madara. How? Naruto didn't know and he could only hope that the biju would provide the answers for them. He was tired of thinking such things and only wanted to spend the rest of his time with Itachi.

Was that too much to ask? To be greedy for once after giving the ultimate sacrifice in another life? He had died once because of the Kyuubi, and while Naruto didn't blame the biju for his death, he didn't wish to be so noble this time. He didn't want to face all the problems in the world and try to fix them. For once, he wanted someone else to do that while he stayed inside with Itachi and just enjoyed the older male's presence.

A soft sigh left Naruto's mouth as he walked into the bathroom and found the first aid kit. He pulled it out and paused to look in the mirror, taking in his appearance after knowing everything now. He still looked the same; his features hadn't changed from his first life to this life. Just as Itachi's hadn't changed either. But he felt different knowing that he had changed mentally while his body had physically stayed the same throughout time. It was an odd feeling and he pushed the thoughts away.

He leaned in closer to the mirror and frowned slightly at the trace of red present in his eyes, no doubt do to the Kyuubi and he closed his eyes, trying to find the last piece of the fox. If anyone knew how to finish Madara off, it would be the fox, who had battled the man more than anyone else. Naruto's grip tightened around the box as he continued to search the fragments of his mind until he heard a familiar splash of water, followed by a dripping sound that echoed throughout his mind.

A low chuckle had Naruto smirking slightly and he opened his eyes to find Kyuubi's reflection staring back at him from the mirror where his own reflection should've. "Hello Kyuubi," Naruto said lowly, amusement lacing his voice at the sight of the non-intimidating fox that gazed back at him. Kyuubi was about the size of a small dog now; no doubt it was an effect of splitting his power that day he was sealed and it made Naruto chuckle. Madara was searching so hard for something so small now.

"Don't laugh," Kyuubi growled, ears flying back in anger. "Despite my appearance, I am still stronger than you can ever imagine."

Naruto shook his head. "You look too cute now and I have a feeling that if I could touch you, I would want to cuddle you."

The fur on Kyuubi's neck raised and he barred his teeth at Naruto. "Do not mock me, little human. For all that your species has grown, you still know nothing compared to me."

Naruto raised his hands up in front of chest to calm the fox down. "Yes, yes; I know. You've told me such countless times over the years when we were still in Konaha. Nothing changes no matter what happens." He frowned and leaned forward, pressing his hand against the mirror as his expression softened and his teasing nature faded away. "How do we stop him?"

The fox sighed and settled down before him, pressing his head against the other side of the mirror, as though he was butting against Naruto's hand. "His time is about to end without this last bit of energy I hold right now. We had hoped that he wouldn't find out about it and you would live a normal life and die just like a normal human." His lone tail wagged and looked out of place without the other eight tails. "When you died, I would die along with you and I would be able to join the rest of the biju; leaving everything balanced again. But such a thing didn't happen as we had hoped."

Naruto nodded. "Madara somehow found out and broke free," he stated and watched as Kyuubi nodded. "And now that he knows, he's after me in hopes of gaining that last power. How does he intend to remove you from me?"

Kyuubi shrugged. "We're not sure. But if he were to try and kill you, it wouldn't work. Once you die, we separate once and for all, and I go back to the realm along with the rest of the biju. But that is the only plan we have." He shook his head. "I'm not sure how he plans to extract me again. He doesn't have a sealing statue anymore and his power is so weak right now that even if he did, it wouldn't work. We're fairly certain he hasn't found a way to separate us but then again this Madara."

"Is it safe to assume that he wishes to kill me?" Naruto asked. "Hoping to finish the job this time, considering I'm still alive after his first try at killing me."

The fox was silent as he collected his thoughts and tried to word his answer in the best way possible. "We assume that he will try to kill you," he finally said after a long moment of silence. "There is no other way that we know of to extract my energy from you and try to seal it as your dying. But he doesn't know that it won't work."

Naruto's throat constricted and his hand curled on the glass. "What happens after that?" he asked carefully and watched as, Kyuubi fell silent and looked away from him, his eyes filled with guilt. There was no hiding it and Naruto didn't need Kyuubi to answer in order to know what the answer was. But still, he wanted to know; no matter what the answer was.

"We think that Itachi weakened him even further with his fight earlier. His energy is vanishing at a quicker rate, and if you and Itachi were to engage him in battle again, there's a chance that he'll finish using the rest of the energy that is sustaining him now and he'll cease to exist," Kyuubi said instead, choosing to avoid the other question and say what else was on his mind.

Blue eyes blinked and Naruto looked at Kyuubi. "So there's a way to influence the amount of energy he uses and force him to use more until he's down to the last drop," he stated and Kyuubi nodded. "And that if Itachi and I fight him, we can make him use that energy until there is nothing left and he's left weak and without any chakra or power."

Kyuubi nodded. "That's the plan," he answered.

Naruto frowned. "And the backup plan in case you were somehow wrong and fighting him really won't wear him down?" he asked. Because he had to know, had to know what would happen if Madara got a hold of him and had somehow figured out a way to pull the last remaining piece of Kyuubi from him. For surely the biju wouldn't sit around and let such a thing happen again.

The fox was silent and he bowed his head, eyes not meeting Naruto's. "Then we have to think of the greater good and do what's best for everyone," he answered softly, pain lacing his voice. It was obvious that the Kyuubi didn't like such an idea but he was backed against the wall right now and had nowhere else to go if Naruto was captured.

"I see," Naruto murmured and looked away from the fox. "And what happens after that? After I die?" It was hard to say and Naruto found that he was having trouble swallowing as well. It hurt to know that after getting Itachi back in his arms again; there was a chance that they could be ripped apart one more time.

"We don't know," Kyuubi answered softly. "There's a chance that you might live even after I vanish or that you won't make it." The words were soft and barely addible but he knew that Naruto heard them regardless.

"I understand," Naruto said lowly and turned away from the mirror. "I should get back to Itachi now. His wounds need to be dressed so he can get some rest."

The fox nodded. "Of course. We won't bother you for a few days, but I'm afraid that that's all you'll get. We can't afford to wait for too long and any longer only gives Madara a chance to formulate a plan and try to recharge his energy."

Naruto grunted and let his hand fall away from the mirror's surface as he walked out of the bathroom, his hands holding the first aid kit tightly. His mind was in turmoil and he couldn't think straight, let alone how he was going to tell Itachi of the biju's plan. It wasn't the first one he had a problem with, but instead the backup plan. He didn't want to give the ultimate sacrifice and die again.

Hadn't they already done enough? They had fought for their village more than once. Itachi had killed his clan and let himself be labeled as a traitor in order to protect the village. And Naruto had fought for the village, despite the horrible childhood he had growing up and still loved it, despite everything. Hadn't that been enough? Didn't they deserve a rest now? A chance to relax and just enjoy each other's company instead of accepting that Naruto would have to die in order to defeat Madara once and for all?

Unbidden, hot tears sprung to Naruto's eyes and he quickly wiped them away. He didn't want Itachi to see them and question why they were trailing down his face. There was no need to tell Itachi about the biju's plan just yet. Not when there was a chance that they wouldn't have to resort to such drastic measures. If they could drain Madara of his energy by fighting him until there was nothing left, then the threat would be gone and there would be no need for Naruto to die.

The thought helped to ease the tears and Naruto paused in the hallway to scrub at his face in order to wipe away any evidence that he had broken down. There was still hope that such a thing wouldn't come to pass and Naruto clung to that hope tightly. They would fight Madara with everything they had in order to assure that the backup plan was never needed.

Putting a smile on his face, Naruto trotted down the hall and opened the door to Itachi's room, panic filling him as he realized Itachi's eyes were closed. His eyes softened at the sight of the steady up and down motion of Itachi's chest and he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. The first aid box was set on the floor and Naruto moved around the room as he searched for fresh blankets that he could cover Itachi with so the older male didn't catch a cold.

He found a large stack in the closest and pulled them all out, not knowing how many they would need and it was better to be safe than sorry. The stack was set next to the bed before Naruto settled next to Itachi. His eyes trailed over Itachi's body, noting that the pale skin was flushed with life once more and wasn't cold to the touch. It made him sigh with relief and he started to dress the smaller wounds that littered Itachi's body.

"I talked to the Kyuubi," he said softly as he smeared ointment over a small scratch.

Itachi's eyes opened and he frowned slightly. "What did he say?" he asked carefully. Naruto's smile was forced and his eyes were troubled, and Itachi could only hope that the news wasn't something that went against their favor.

Naruto smoothed a bandage down, making sure it held firm to the skin so it wouldn't peel off. "He said that your fight with Madara made him weaker and he had to use more energy, so it's leaving his body at a faster rate," he answered. "And they believe that if we fight him again, he'll be forced to use more energy until none remains."

"They wish to accelerate the process instead of waiting for him to fade away as he was supposed to," Itachi murmured, his eyes calculating, even as he closed them. "In theory it's a good idea, but it's also putting you out into the field where Madara can easily capture you. And if that happens, then he'll try to pull the Kyuubi from you."

Naruto chuckled. "Then we'll have to make sure that such a thing doesn't happen. I have no doubt that we can beat him, especially if we fight him together. And I won't let you fight him alone, no matter what you try to tell me. I had enough of hiding the last time and I will not allow you to fight him by yourself again."

Itachi nodded and tilted his head to the side, allowing Naruto to cover a small scratch that was on the side of his neck. "But you're still hiding something," he said softly and opened his eyes again to look at the younger male. "I know you too well to know when something is bothering you. You can't hide the emotion in your eyes."

Naruto's hand froze for a moment before he continued to smooth out the bandage. "The biju have a backup plan in case something goes wrong," he finally stated, knowing that there was no use in keeping it from Itachi anymore. The older male already knew that he was keeping something from him and wouldn't rest until he knew exactly what.

A low hum left Itachi's throat. "What kind of backup plan?" he asked cautiously.

"The bad kind," Naruto answered, his lips twitching slightly "Originally, the Kyuubi was supposed to die when I passed away and the problem would be taken care of itself. But then Madara found out and well, here we are now."

Dark eyes darted over to Naruto's face. Naruto didn't have to say anymore for Itachi to understand and he gripped at the younger male's hand. "They mean to kill you so Madara won't get his hands on you." He stated.

"Or let him kill me, as it seems he doesn't know that killing me will kill the Kyuubi instead of releasing him," Naruto answered and grabbed for Itachi's hand, lacing his fingers through Itachi's.

"I won't let them do that," Itachi hissed. "You will not die again. Not like that. Not because they couldn't handle a problem they couldn't fix."

Naruto shook his head. "Which is why we need to make sure that we finish Madara off like they want us to. I know we can take him down and once we do, we don't have to worry about him anymore. There won't be a threat anymore and no one else will want to steal the Kyuubi." He tugged lightly at Itachi's arm. "But we're not going to worry about that now. We have a few days to relax and build up our strength again."

Itachi growled as Naruto pulled him to his feet. "Even if they ask me to, I will not kill you if it comes down to it. They'll have to fight me first to get to you and then do the job themselves." He staggered slightly as Naruto led him to the bed and sat down heavily on it. "I will not let you die."

A smile spread across Naruto's face. "Good. I would be rather hurt if you let me die," he stated and sat next to Itachi. "But we'll win this fight and then we won't have to worry about it. No matter what happens, we'll be together again. Always." He threaded his fingers through Itachi's hair and tugged the older male down for a harsh kiss, pushing all the thoughts from his mind as their lips pressed together. Because he didn't want to think about what would happen if this didn't work and it was easier for now just to pretend that everything was going to be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: Ugh, I'm so far behind on posting and I apologize so much for that. This story is already written and finished on my computer, so I'm in the process of editing and posting now. Same for Evil Genius, writing the last chapter now. I'm sorry again for the long wait D8

**Warnings**: Violence, blood, cursing

**Disclaimer**: Don't own Naruto

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The mind was a cruel thing, Naruto decided as he lay in bed next to Itachi. It kept him awake as thoughts raced around his brain, each thought trying to supply to him the way he was going to die. It hardly seemed fair that his thoughts were keeping him awake at night, despite the comforting weight of Itachi's arm draped over his waist.

But he couldn't help the thoughts that raced through his mind and it seemed as though his brain wasn't going to let them go away either. It forced him to think of different ways their fight with Madara would play out, ranging for the happy ending to the tragic one, where he was captured and Madara somehow found out how to remove the last piece of Kyuubi successfully from his body. Because despite what the biju said, Naruto was sure that Madara knew how to extract the Kyuubi and use its powers. There was no way he would allow himself to try something so blind and assume the outcome.

The man had had hundreds of years to sit and mull over everything, even before Naruto had been born. If Madara had known that Kyuubi had given a piece of energy to him on that fateful day, then Madara probably knew that Naruto would eventually be reborn again with that piece of Kyuubi. He could've been simply biding his time until the day, silently planning in the background for the right time.

And now that time had come. Naruto had been born and Madara could sense the Kyuubi, wanting it for his own. Those thoughts kept Naruto up at night and left his mind troubled during the day, because everything was so uncertain. No one could say for sure what was going to happen; they could only hope and guess. It wasn't enough to calm Naruto's mind and if anything, only made the thoughts race more. Because he knew that Madara had something up his sleeve. The man was too old and had been around far too long to charge into battle without a plan.

A small sigh left Naruto's lips and he turned around in Itachi's grip, feeling the arm around his waist tighten slightly. It had been two days since Itachi's fight with Madara and every moment spent with the older male was like gaining a second life. Every touch was familiar but at the same time, it was new and sparked stronger emotions in Naruto than before. Every kiss they shared was like kissing Itachi again for the first time and Naruto swore that he didn't want it to end.

But their time together was quickly coming to an end, Naruto could feel it. Kyuubi told him that they would only get a few days rest before they were expected to draw out Madara and fight him. It was too soon in Naruto's opinion, as Itachi's wounds were still fresh and sore to the touch and would be painful to fight with. And of course, the greedy part of Naruto that didn't want to leave Itachi just yet. They were finally together again after centuries of separation and Naruto wanted to cling to the man, never letting him go; no matter how greedy and selfish he sounded. They had done enough for their village and world, and Naruto simply wanted to tell the biju to fuck off. Let them live their own life this time and be happy for once.

Such thoughts were dangerous though and Naruto tucked them away deep in his mind, not wanting to think about them. Because the more he thought about it, the more he balked at the idea of fighting the crazed man that Madara had become. Not because he was scared, but because he didn't want the outcome to come to pass that would leave Itachi alone. The older male had been through enough loneliness since he started working the job as fate and deserved to have happiness for once. It didn't seem fair that after finally getting Naruto back in his arms, a cruel twist of fate would tear him away again.

Itachi shifted next to him, drawing Naruto away from his thoughts as he looked at the sleeping man, wondering what was going through Itachi's mind. The older male hadn't spoke about the outcome on their upcoming fight, but Naruto knew that it was weighing heavily on his mind. It seemed as though they were both preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.

How humorous that in the past, Naruto would've laid his life down to protect the village or save it, but in this time and age, the idea didn't sound all that appealing anymore. Perhaps it was way he had been raised this time around, with a mother and father who cared about him and taught him about life and that it was precious. Or that he had no one to lie his life down for as it seemed like a foolish notion to lay down your life for the world, considering how messed up and twisted it was. Not that Konaha was completely better, but it was far better off than the world they were living in now.

Simply put, Naruto didn't want to die again at the hands of Madara or even the biju again. Perhaps it was because he was scared of death or he didn't want to leave Itachi again. Probably a combination of both along with several other factors that Naruto refused to admit aloud. Whatever the case though, Naruto could only take each day as it came and enjoy the time he was given with Itachi. Because each day that passed that he could spend with Itachi was his light in an ever-dimming world that threatened to swallow him soon.

Heaving another soft sigh, Naruto closed his eyes again, pushing closer to Itachi and enjoying the older male's embrace. He would cherish every moment he had with Itachi because he never knew when it would be their last. The thoughts that had once been racing through his mind were pushed to the side and tucked away, Naruto not wanting to tarnish the time spent with Itachi with such thoughts. Once gone from his mind, sleep washed over Naruto's body, allowing him a moments rest in his lover's arms once more.

* * *

Naruto hummed softly as he changed the bandages on Itachi's body, checking them for any signs of infection. He was pleased to find that they were healing nicely, if not slowly. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be a problem, but they were quickly running out of time and Naruto didn't want Itachi in battle with his wounds still healing.

But they didn't have a choice, as Kyuubi had talked to him that night, informing him that their time together was coming to an end. The fox seemed apologetic and Naruto could see the guilt in his eyes when he told Naruto that they were expected to confront Madara that afternoon. It would be the best time to attack as Madara's strength was still draining from his body and he was becoming more desperate to find Naruto. He had taken to attacking and destroying things in the world Naruto lived in, in an attempt to find Naruto and capture the remaining piece of Kyuubi.

While the amount of energy Madara was exerting was helping to weaken him further, it was also destroying the balance between the worlds as threads were cut in the process and the amount of deaths in the world was starting to grow, drawing attention worldwide and creating fear in some places. It was something the biju couldn't allow to happen anymore and as such, his and Itachi's time was up.

"I don't like this plan," Itachi muttered softly as Naruto smoothed a bandage over the last wound. "I'm sure Madara has something planned that they don't know about."

Naruto chuckled lowly; trust Itachi to be thinking the same thing but never mention it until now. "I know, but I have a feeling that despite what Kyuubi told me, the biju know more than they're letting on," he stated. "I think they plan to kill me if it looks as though Madara will be successful."

Itachi shook his head. "Then we'll make sure that he's not and destroy him this time, once and for all. Once he's gone, we won't have to worry about anything and we'll be free to live our lives as we see fit."

Nodding, Naruto set the wraps in the box and pushed it aside. "I'm more worried about you having to go into this fight when you're still recovering." He leaned forward and carefully wrapped his arms around Itachi's shoulders, pulling him closer. "I don't think it's fair and I worry about you." He admitted softly.

"I've gone into battle before with far worse injuries and was still able to fight," Itachi murmured, reaching up to stroke Naruto's arm. "Do not worry about me when it's you that you need to worry about. You're the one Madara wants and he will do anything to capture you, along with the Kyuubi."

"How about we both worry about each other, since we know we're not going to worry about ourselves," Naruto said with a grin. "This way, we'll still be safe in the end because you're looking out for me and I'm looking out for you."

Itachi cocked his head slightly. "Your logic doesn't make sense," he admitted and shook his head slightly.

"It makes sense to me," Naruto stated. "And that's all that matters." He chuckled at the disgruntled look on Itachi's face and pressed a soft kiss to his neck before leaning back so they could continue getting ready. They were set to leave in an hour or two, and they still had to prepare their weapons and bodies before they headed out.

They were silent as they sharpened their weapons and looked over them for any nicks or cracks that could be fatal in battle if they weren't taken care of beforehand. A cracked kunai, no matter how thin the fault, could still break or shatter in the heat of battle when they were fighting with everything they had. It was better to be prepared before going into this fight than take the chances that things would turn out right while they were fighting.

"Do you have a plan?" Naruto asked softly, knowing that Itachi had always been the better strategist out of the two of them.

Itachi nodded. "I have a few," he stated and set aside a sharpened kunai. "If Madara's power is weakening the more he uses it, then he won't be willing to use his techniques in battle, as that will probably drain him faster than just fighting hand to hand. However, if he feels as though he's going to lose no matter what, he might resort to using the sharingan as a last resort in hopes that it'll bring him victory and that once he's victorious, he'll use the last piece of Kyuubi to restore his energy."

Naruto grunted slightly. "So we need to force him to use his techniques so he'll become weaker more quickly," he finished and ran his thumb over the jagged edge of the kunai before dripping some liquid on it so he could continue to sharpen it.

"Yes. But how we go about getting him to use these techniques is tricky. He'll know what we're up to and we can't expect him to play fair either," Itachi answered with a small sigh. "You have the Kyuubi's energy now and will be able to fight him for longer periods than I can due to my injuries. However, your level of endurance isn't the same as it was in the past and you'll grow tired faster than before."

"So we'll switch off," Naruto murmured and set aside the kunai now that its sides were sharp and smooth.

Itachi nodded. "Hold off on using the Kyuubi's energy for as long as you can. Once you use it, Madara will realize the power it holds and will desire it even more. It's our trump card that can help win the battle if you use it at the last moment, especially if Madara has decided to use his own chakra against us." He started to polish his sword, searching for any defects in the metal. "It's best if we start this battle with Madara believing that you have no idea about the Kyuubi or how to use his chakra."

A lighthearted groan left Naruto's mouth. "So this isn't just a battle of strength but also the mind. Great. Just when I thought things were going to get easier for us," he joked.

The older male chuckled. "The only thing you need to worry about is falling for his genjutsu, as you're weak in that area of fighting and it's one of Madara's techniques that he'll use." Itachi paused and leaned over, pressing a kiss to Naruto's temple. "But I'll make sure to help you out in that area, as genjutsu's are my specialty."

"Of course," Naruto teased and poked Itachi lightly in the side before going back to work. Their kunai were finished and only a few more weapons remained before they prepared themselves. Once that was done, there was no going back and everything would be decided in this last battle. And Naruto could only hope that everything worked in their favor.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky when they left the peace and safety of Itachi's house in favor of entering the dangerous plane where Madara resided. It was large and empty, lacking everything that Itachi's abode held. It was almost depressing, but then again, Madara deserved nothing better after all the havoc he had caused back in their world. If it hadn't been for him, things would've turned out differently and they wouldn't have been left to deal with this problem now.

The thoughts were pushed aside as a gust of wind washed over them before Madara appeared before them, no doubt having sensed their presence the moment they stepped foot on his soil. They had come out of hiding, walking straight into Madara's grasp and the older male wasn't about to ignore such a gift when it was dropped so graciously into his lap.

Madara's face was free of his mask this time, leaving Naruto to see the obsession and craziness that swirled in Madara's eyes. It gave him a wild look and it was then that Naruto understood how much they had to lose while Madara truly had nothing to lose. There was the chance that he could lose his life in this battle yes, but should he win, the rewards would be far greater than what Madara had gambled. It seemed as though Madara valued his power more than his life if he was willing to fight the both of them when the odds were against him.

"I see the fox has come out to play," Madara cackled, his fingers flexing as he rocked back and forth. "Tell me little one, have your memories come back? That was the one problem with those foolish biju, they didn't bother to lock mine, hoping that it would make me suffer when instead it allowed me to plot. And here we are today."

Naruto snorted. "Yes, here we are. But if you think you're going to walk away from here, you're a fool for thinking so." He smirked. "Not as though you weren't a fool before, but now you're just a crazy fool."

Madara chuckled. "Still full of energy and that annoying spark after all these years," he said with a small sigh. "But no matter, I will take great pride in crushing that spirit and taking what belongs to me."

A low growl left Naruto's throat and his fingers curled around the handle of his kunai. "Whatever it is you're after, it doesn't belong to you," he snapped and tossed a kunai at Madara, using his chakra to make it fly faster until it nothing but a blur in the air. He couldn't let Madara know that he knew about the Kyuubi housed inside him and it was best to play ignorant and rash in order to make Madara attack him.

Madara dodged the attack and answered with his own, his fist slamming into the ground where Naruto had once stood. It seemed as though all of Madara's attention was on Naruto, choosing to ignore Itachi's presence as the man looked as though he would fall over at any given moment. It was another part of Itachi's plan that they decided on at the last moment.

If Itachi looked weak and still badly injured, then Madara would be less likely to focus his attention on Itachi until he decided to show his true colors. They were hoping for a surprise attack that would injury Madara enough that he would be forced to use his chakra and further deplete his energy levels, but it was one that had to be timed with precision. They had to wait until Madara thought he was winning and believed Naruto to be down for the count, unable to fight anymore. It would be then that his guard would be lowered the most and it would allow Itachi to deal a powerful attack that would hopefully cripple Madara.

But for now, the only thing Itachi could do was watch from the side, playing injured while he made sure that Madara didn't force a genjutsu on Naruto. That would be the only thing that would put a glitch in their plan and it was a small gamble that they would have to take for the time being as they played everything by ear. If Madara decided to use genjutsu, then Itachi would have to drop his act in order to pull Naruto from it if the younger male couldn't break away from the genjutsu's hold.

So far though, Madara was only resorting to weapons and hand to hand fighting as Itachi had predicted, using the smallest amount of chakra to avoid attacks that were too fast for him to dodge with normal speed. Despite how old Madara was, he hadn't let his body become weak and had kept his strength and endurance in peak shape, making it seem as though he was at his prime. It seemed as though Madara's body hadn't aged since the last time Naruto had seen him and he wondered if it was the Kyuubi's energy that was keeping that from happening.

He hissed as a kunai sliced through his shirt, cutting his skin in the process. Blood bubbled to the surface and the scent of copper filled Naruto's nose. It was annoying to fight this way and he dodged another attack, grumbling in annoyance. He was only using small amounts of his chakra now, but still hadn't resorted to using the chakra for larger attacks that would put more pressure on Madara. They were trying to wait until the man was showing signs of weakening first.

Blue eyes flickered back to Itachi, wondering when the older male would allow him to use the Kyuubi's power. Itachi was more attuned to Madara's energy and would be able to tell when the man was growing weak enough to force him in submission. It had to be soon, as even Naruto could see that Madara's attacks were growing weaker as he tried to hold back on using his chakra.

Another glance at Itachi had Naruto smirking as Itachi nodded at him, telling him it was time. Chakra flowed and surged in Naruto's veins as he called upon a powerful technique that would hopefully bring Madara to his knees. If not, Itachi would follow with another strong attack, not letting Madara have a second to rest and recover from the attack.

Kyuubi's chakra mixed with his own and Naruto watched as Madara's eyes widened, sensing the power that was flooding the area. Fury filled red eyes, as Madara realized that Naruto had been holding back and teasing him the whole time. But Naruto wasn't about to let Madara have time to curse him and rushed forward with his rasengan swirling in his hand. The attack was too sudden for Madara to block or form a counter attack, and he took the attack directly, the force sending him flying back and landing harshly in the dirt surrounding them.

Naruto moved back, putting more space between himself and Madara. Next to him, Itachi was calm as his sharingan eyes scanned the area for Madara, hoping to pinpoint his location so they knew if the man was still alive or if the attack had somehow killed him. Itachi's eyes narrowed and a frown crossed his lips.

"He's still alive and is building his chakra for an attack," he stated and reached for Naruto's arm. "Once he attacks you, he'll be weakened and I can deliver my blow. Hopefully that will be enough to force him to use more of his chakra."

Naruto snorted slightly. "Provided the attack he delivers first doesn't kill me," he stated and gathered his chakra again. It still flowed strongly in his body and he could feel it waiting for his next move. "Let me attack him so he doesn't have time to release his own attack. Then you can follow with yours."

Itachi paused for a moment, quickly running the thoughts and plans through his head before nodding his head. "Be quick, he plans to strike soon."

Chakra already at his fingertips, Naruto raced forward, another rasengan in his hand. It grew larger as he approached the elder Uchiha, seeing the rage in Madara's eyes as the man struggled to build enough energy to create a large attack. It was fluctuating and unstable as Naruto grew closer, feeling Itachi racing up behind him. Naruto's attack helped to provide cover for Itachi and Madara would never know what hit him if their timing was perfect.

Naruto's hand thrust forward, pushing the attack at Madara once more and throwing all his strength behind it. He winced slightly as Madara's chakra lashed out at him but ignored it as he continued to push against the older male, tossing him back once more. Without waiting to see how his attack fared, Naruto jumped to the side, allowing Itachi to continue on, following Madara so he could deliver his own attack.

Itachi flew by him, chakra building and mounting, making Naruto wonder which attack the Uchiha was going to use. It would probably be something that wouldn't place him too close to Madara in case the man tried to attack in a last ditch effort to save himself. Chakra surged and released in a wave as the black flames of amaterasu roared to life before Itachi and Naruto could only hope that they were dealing damage to Madara.

Seconds later, Itachi appeared at his side, panting slightly. The large attack had taken a lot out of Itachi and he leaned against Naruto, body trembling as he tried to recover. The force had opened his wounds again and Naruto could see pink tinting the white bandages. The sight made Naruto frown and he could only hope that their attacks had forced Madara to use more of his chakra. It was already a good sign that Madara was having trouble holding his attacks together as it meant he was growing weaker, but Naruto still didn't know how much more he had left.

"How much is left?" Naruto asked.

"Not much now," Itachi answered, straightening up and wincing slightly as his wounds pulled. "The next attack he uses against us could very well be his last, but he's taking his time now and moving cautiously, knowing he doesn't have much chakra left."

Naruto frowned. "He's stalling for time to, hoping that his chakra will come back if he waits long enough. We can't let that happen though but we can't attack at the same time in case it's a trap." He glanced back at the flames, wondering how injured Madara was behind them.

Itachi nodded. "Just a little bit more," he said lowly. "He's on his last leg and won't last much longer. We just need to tempt him to use the last of his energy."

"Trick him again?" Naruto asked, sinking to the ground with a small smirk on his face. "Do you think we can make him think that we're down for the count as well?"

The flames in front of them vanished as Madara sealed them away and Itachi shook his head, tugging Naruto up to stand on his feet. "Not yet. I believe he found a little more chakra left and feigning injury now will only make things worse if he wants to kill you."

Chakra rushed to their legs as they sprinted away from the area, putting even more distance between themselves and Madara so they could formulate a plan. Behind them, Madara's chakra surged and Naruto could hear Kyuubi growling low at the feeling, the fox wanting vengeance for himself. It was only natural that the demon lusted for Madara's death after everything the man had put him through, but Naruto couldn't let Kyuubi attack blindly. He didn't know what plans Madara had up his sleeve, no matter how much it looked like the man was feeling his age.

"Let me have one more attack," Itachi said, pulling Naruto from his thoughts. "If we engage in battle and actually fight, he won't last long and it'll be short, so my injuries won't matter."

Naruto nibbled on his lip and finally nodded. "Be careful," he muttered and eased the furious fox, calming the raging chakra down. "I'll be right behind you to offer any support if you need it."

Itachi gave a sharp jerk of his head before rushing forward again. All sense of elegance was lost and there was no time to work fancy tricks when Madara was so close to falling. Their actions were blunt and direct, hard and fast, making sure that they put everything into their attacks so they wouldn't have to worry about a next time. It was crazy, but perhaps crazy would work against someone like Madara.

Staying far enough back, Naruto watched as the two Uchiha's fought, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Memories of times past came back easily as they exchanged blows, almost too fast for Naruto's eyes to follow. There was a sense of urgency, pushing them even faster as they continued to fight; knowing that they were on a time limit. It made things all the more stressful and Naruto cringed as an attack landed on Itachi, making him stumble slightly.

The younger Uchiha moved away, falling back to Naruto's side, knowing he had reached his limit. His bandages were stained red and he was panting heavily, making Naruto's eyebrows furrow slightly. Itachi was still too weak from his previous injuries and he was suffering now from his current injuries.

"No more," Naruto muttered, holding onto Itachi's arm to help support him. "You're too weak to fight him right now and he'll kill you if he lands another attack."

With a low grunt, Itachi nodded slightly. "He won't last much longer either. He only has one attack left in him. Maybe an attack and a half." He gave Naruto's hand a squeeze. "But don't underestimate him. His attacks can still harm you, especially if he's putting a lot of energy into them."

Naruto hummed. "I understand," he said softly and reluctantly stepped away from Itachi. Across the field, Madara glared at him as he approached, his face twisted with anger at the situation and his eyes spinning with madness.

"You demon brat," he hissed, gathering chakra in his legs for his next attack. "I should've killed you ages ago when you were a kid, but I was greedy and tried to bide my time. Not now. Now, you will die by hands but not before you suffer first."

A snort left Naruto's mouth. "And how do you plan on pulling the Kyuubi out of my body?" he asked cautiously, wanting to see if Madara had a plan or not.

Madara smirked. "I created a seal during my time in this hell. The biju didn't watch me when I behaved and never saw me creating and forming the seal. They think that I don't have a way to pull the nine tails out of your body, but I do." He giggled lowly. "Oh but I do."

Naruto swallowed and felt Kyuubi coil in anger inside his body. Wanting nothing more than to kill the man where he stood and the only thing that was stopping him was the seal Madara had created. They didn't know if it was a bluff or if Madara had the seal on him, but it still made Naruto hesitate. "You'll never get the Kyuubi," Naruto finally spoke, trying to call his own bluff. "Nothing you do will work, because the moment you try, I'll die and the Kyuubi will leave my body before you can use your seal."

"Then I will make you suffer and come to me," Madara stated, his lips tilting up into an insane smile.

Blue eyes furrowed slightly at the words before Madara vanished before his eyes. Naruto's body tensed, his chakra racing through his body as he tried to locate Madara. His eyes darted around the area, feeling Madara's energy building but not seeing the man and Naruto's gaze landed on Itachi. The younger Uchiha on alert, but his eyes were tired and filled with pain, and Naruto moved forward without thinking.

His legs burned with chakra as he raced towards Itachi's side, Madara's words ringing through his head. Madara wanted to make Naruto suffer before he died and Itachi was Naruto's only weakness. The older Uchiha never played fair and if it meant targeting Itachi to get to Naruto, then the man would attack his own blood to do so and never think twice about it.

Giving one last push, Naruto surged forward, ignoring the look on Itachi's face; the only thing racing through his mind was to protect Itachi no matter what. Itachi had saved him in more ways than one in their past life and Naruto would be damned if he let Itachi die because of him. He reached Itachi's side just as Madara flickered back into view before them, red eyes glowing with determination. An outstretched hand pieced flesh, tearing through muscles and bone, blood spraying out of the body and covering Madara's body as his momentum continued to drive him forward.

A scream left Madara's mouth and Naruto gasped in pain as the hand was suddenly yanked out of his chest, blood streaming down his torso as he crumpled to the ground. A warm body instantly pushed against his back as Itachi pressed closer to him, his hands coming up to cover the gaping wound as chakra coated his hand in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Stay with me, Naruto," Itachi panted, his chakra flickering slightly due to the strain he was placing on his body. He grunted as red chakra bubbled from Naruto's body, burning his skin and making him withdraw his hands as the pain grew. The chakra grew as it continued to stem from Naruto's body, which was quickly growing cold despite the hot chakra flowing from his body.

Itachi's eyes widened as it started to take the shape of the nine-tailed fox, its head already formed and growling loudly at Madara who had collapsed on the floor, struggling to pull the last remnants of his chakra from his body.

"I will not lose," Madara screamed. "You will be mine this time, no matter what!"

A low chuckle left Kyuubi's mouth and he took a step forward with a newly formed paw. "Foolish human. You were never mine despite all your best efforts. I have and will always continue to elude you, teasing you and tempting you with my power as you thirst for something you cannot have." His tail formed, swishing back and forth slightly in anger as his lips pulled back into a wide smile. "But you attacked me first, controlling me and prompting me to attack the village which led to my containment inside a mere human babe. But now, it is I who will finish what we started and send you to a place where you can no longer cause me troubles."

Madara shook his head, ignoring the chakra mounting behind the Kyuubi as he fumbled for his seal. "No. No, I will have you and your energy will keep me from dying and let me break free of these bonds that tie me here."

Kyuubi shook his head, the ball of chakra growing and solidifying behind him. "No you petty human. I will kill you and I will break free of the bonds that keep me tied to the human world." Hot wind washed over the area and Kyuubi shifted until he was sitting on his back legs with the ball between his front paws. "Goodbye Madara and good riddance."

Itachi shifted his body, covering Naruto's face from the bright blast that escaped the ball of energy that Kyuubi held before scorching heat flooded over them. Red chakra covered them, protecting them both from the blaze that was quickly burning Madara alive; his screams echoing across the field before the sound was lost in the roar of the flames.

"Stay awake, Naruto," Itachi pleaded, feeling Naruto's breaths grow shallow as the fire continued to roar and burn around them. He drew chakra to his hands, ignoring the laughter leaving the Kyuubi's mouth as he delivered another attack, and brought his hand to the wound in another attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Love you, 'Tachi," Naruto mumbled lowly, shivering against Itachi's body.

Itachi shook his head, feeling Naruto's energy quickly leaving his body. Now that the Kyuubi was free, he couldn't help heal Naruto's body as it had in the past and the wound was too fatal to be healed by Itachi's hands alone. "Don't leave me, Naruto," Itachi begged, his grip tightening around Naruto's chest. He froze as the heartbeat under his hand shuddered to a stop and Naruto's body fell limp in his arms. Itachi's eyes widened and he hunched over the cold body in his arms, screaming Naruto's name.

* * *

_tbc_...


	7. Chapter 7

**A**/**N**: Sorry to leave everyone on a cliffhanger last chapter, but here's the next chapter ^^ Hope you enjoy it and happy holidays! Have a good New Years!

**Warning**: **SMUT**, **lemon**, **malexmale**. You have been warned

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto

* * *

Peace and beauty were things often only defined in the mind. Each person saw them differently and there was no way to say what true peace or beauty looked like. But by the same token, sadness and pain were the same. While they were felt by everyone, they were felt differently and by different degrees. They were both confusing things created by humans to describe something they couldn't understand. It was the human way to try to explain things that they didn't understand, to have an answer for everything even when at times, things couldn't be explained.

It was the way of life, to leave certain things a mystery; especially when it dealt with things that were beyond human belief. The idea that hundreds of lines connected people together was a terrifying thought to most people and would cause mass panic if people were to find out that the things they once thought were only myths, such as fate and her threads, truly existed.

And perhaps it was best left that way; allowing people to believe what they wanted so they were happy within their own little world. It was best not to disturb the happy little bubble that surrounded people when it came to what they believed in; to do so would only cause unrest and other things that were unwanted at the time.

But just because there were things that people believed didn't exist, didn't mean that those people were right and that those objects were truly myths. It just meant that human kind would never know the true wonders of the world that they lived in and looked at through veiled eyes; and in all honesty, those beings that were believed to be myths but actually lived, preferred it that way. It allowed them to live in peace and to watch the humans as they slowly learned more and more things; creeping towards a time where the thirst of knowledge threatened to be their undoing, and choosing to help if they so wished.

Peace was something that these beings knew and had found within their years of immortality; watching the years fly by at the blink of eye while life seemed to crawl for the humans on earth. Their peace was found within their minds and was projected to their place of living; allowing them to constantly feel at ease as they continued to live their life. It wasn't something that came naturally to them and took time to understand, but once it happened, the process became easier and the knowledge of what peace was, was clearer; if only by a little.

It was something that Itachi had come to learn during the many years of watching the threads weaves themselves around the earth, growing and dying; connecting and separating people. His peace came from the times when Sasuke was younger and the pressures from his father weren't placed so heavily on his shoulders. A time that a few weeks ago, Itachi didn't remember but his spirit did and it had helped to project that time in his life without him knowing why. Sometimes it was best not to question the things that happened and just accept them; doing so kept the headaches away; or so Itachi found.

A light breeze moved through the walkways of the house; making the wind chime in the backyard ding slightly as the pieces connected against each other to create a calming noise as Itachi moved through the hallways. Bright sunlight filtered through the trees around the house, the wind making the branches sway back and forth and the sunlight to scatter across the ground. It was peaceful and warm, but Itachi could still feel his body on edge as he continued to walk.

Despite the peace that had settled over his house since the fight with Madara almost two weeks ago, Itachi found it hard to truly relax just yet; not after everything that had happened during the fight with his ancestor. Every detail was still fresh in his mind; every movement and attack that had happened replaying itself in his mind until Itachi could replicate the fight perfectly. He couldn't stop himself from thinking about it; analyzing it and trying to figure out where things had gone wrong.

They had been so close to winning and finally destroying Madara before the elder male had pulled one last ditch attack that had worked; much to Itachi's dismay. If it hadn't been for Naruto's combined chakra with the Kyuubi, there was a chance that Itachi wouldn't be alive still; that he would've finally died for good this time instead of getting a second chance at life by helping control the threads of fate. But instead, Naruto had made a sacrifice that had saved Itachi's life in the end, but at the cost of another life.

It was something Itachi didn't like to think about, but the evidence was there and was something he couldn't ignore. The fact of it was, was that someone had died during that fight; someone that shouldn't have died and the loss was heavy in the air around him, despite the peace that surrounded the house. Madara's death, while sad because he was kin, was a needed one and was a life that should've been ended centuries back. Humans weren't meant to stay alive for so long; they witnessed the rise and fall of many things, watched as time changed before them while they barely aged, and in turn, that seemed to upset the mental balance in a person.

Madara was mad and crazy to begin with, but as he continued to live past the centuries, it only grew with each passing decade until Itachi was certain that Madara couldn't tell what was up and what was down. He only knew what he wished to know or believe and that train of thought had settled in deep in his mind, twisting and coiling its way through his body until it had infected him so much that he was beyond saving. In the end, it was for the best that the man had finally passed on; he was only damaging himself more and more with each day he kept on living and trying to fight death.

But the other death that had occurred on the battlefield was one that Itachi hadn't wished to happen and while he knew that it was inevitable, he still mourned the loss. Especially for what that loss meant. It was a noble cause, one that helped to offset the pain of death; the loss of life so that another life could continue. And for that, Itachi constantly thanked the Kyuubi every day since that fight; for without him and his determination, Naruto would've died that day on the field.

A small smile slipped over Itachi's face as he reached a room and softly pushed open the door, gazing inside. His eyes rested on the bed where Naruto was sleeping peaceful while a soft breeze floated through the room. The blankets steadily moved up and down, the only sign that Naruto was still alive, as his eyes remained closed and his breathing light. For the first week after the fight, Naruto had stayed in a deep sleep as his body worked to recover from the near death experience, his chakra working its way through his body and helping to speed up the process while Itachi offered his own help as best he could.

It was only recently that Naruto had woken up from his sleep and had graced Itachi with a wide smile before falling right back to sleep; to which Itachi couldn't stop from chuckling at the action. But with each passing day, Naruto was awake for a longer period of time and was moving around more, testing his strength to see what he could and couldn't do. Yesterday had been the longest day that Naruto was awake, talking with Itachi for a little over an hour even though he had stayed in bed the whole time.

The younger male was also mourning the loss of Kyuubi, even though he had only been aware of the Kyuubi for a few short days. He still remembered what it was like to live with the fox and to know that the biju was gone this time without the chance of coming back was hard for Naruto as well. Naruto knew what had happened without Itachi telling him and Itachi suspected that Naruto had had one last chance to say goodbye before the fox vanished from his body.

Sliding the door shut behind him, Itachi made his way over to the bed and sat down next to the younger male, his hand coming out to rest before Naruto's nose so he could be certain that Naruto was still breathing. The feeling of hot breath fanning against his hand made Itachi sigh happily and he pulled back, only to find blue eyes staring at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"I'm not going to die," he said lowly and reached out to grab Itachi's hand, pressing a kiss to the backside of it. "Not yet. Not after I was given this chance to spend it with you."

Itachi smiled slightly. "I know but do you blame me for worrying?" He brought Naruto's hand to his cheek and pressed it against his face, leaning into the soft touch. "If the Kyuubi hadn't helped, I would've lost you again, and the thought of that makes me cling to you even more. Holding you in my arms as you were dying was something I would rather not live through again; you were meant to live."

Naruto's thumb brushed over Itachi's cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, 'Tachi. I'm not leaving you and I plan to use the Kyuubi's gift instead of wasting it by simply killing over and dying." He glanced out the window, looking at the lazy clouds that floated through the sky. "We were lucky that that piece of Kyuubi was still residing in me. Otherwise, I might not be here. I could've been lost to the stream of time and we never would've found each other again." He chuckled lightly, not believing the words that were coming from his mouth; knowing that they must sound cheesy, but he couldn't help himself.

"I know," Itachi answered and slowly lowered Naruto's hand so his arm could rest against the bed without putting any more strain to the still tender wound. "It seems that Kyuubi was able to come through one last time, just as he did the last time you two were put in danger. It seems as though he came to care for you more than you thought."

It had been an unexpected reaction from the fox, as he was already free from Naruto's body after his attack on Madara. There had been nothing left in Naruto's body to heal himself, leaving Itachi cradling nothing but a cold body in his arms as the Kyuubi continued to rain attacks on the spot where Madara had once stood. By that time, Itachi was fairly certain that Madara was dead; he couldn't sense his chakra or presence at all, but Itachi had no power to stop the Kyuubi from attacking the place where Madara had fallen. The fox was free and could do as he pleased, and the chance of the fox using his time to heal Naruto now that he was free was slim.

Itachi continued to try to heal Naruto, forcing out the last bit of chakra in his body so he could heal Naruto until his body was trembling with effort. At that time, he knew he had nothing left to give and Naruto's body had grown cold in his arms but a small part in Itachi's mind pleaded for hope and had tossed aside all rational in an effort to save Naruto, even at the cost of his own.

He had continued to force chakra into Naruto's body, in hopes that it would spur his heart into action again until the sound of soft footsteps met his ears. Large paws stopped in front of him, making Itachi look up at Kyuubi, wondering what was running through the fox's mind. Now that the Kyuubi had finished with his revenge over Madara, Itachi could see the pain in the biju's eyes at what had fallen upon Naruto. They had lived and fought together in the past, and even if their relationship had started out in hate, there was still a bond there that had proved to be stronger than either probably thought existed.

"He's gone," Itachi stated, his hand trembling as it rested against the wound. It had finally stopped bleeding but Naruto's heart was still silent under Itachi's touch. "I couldn't save him in time." His voice shook and Itachi could feel his throat threatening to close up, knowing that he was close to tears; no matter how un-Uchiha like it would be.

The Kyuubi shook his head and slowly lowered his body to the ground so they were eye-to-eye. "He's not gone just yet. His soul is still there, connected to something that keeps it bound to his body and refuses to leave. You can't feel it, but there's the smallest thread of chakra there still connecting him to me and it's the only thing keeping him alive right now."

Itachi blinked and felt a small spark of hope flare within his chest once more. "What do I have to do to bring him back. I will not let him die; not after what he did for me and after he fought Madara once more. It was a battle that should've ended years ago and our job should've been finished, but we were both called to fight again." He refused to back down on the subject and refused to let Naruto fade away in his arms. If there was a way, then Itachi was going to do it.

A deep chuckle left Kyuubi's mouth and his lips pulled back in a smile, revealing sharp and dangerous teeth. "Silly human. This is something that you can't do; nothing you try will bring him back. But I on the other hand can help with this little problem that is facing us both." His lone tail wagged behind him before settling once more around his body. "This body is nothing more than the remaining energy that was trapped in Naruto's body. The rest of my energy has been gathering with the rest of the biju and awaits me so I can return to my former glory. However, I cannot simply vanish because I am still connected to Naruto, if only by a thread."

"But if you use the remaining energy that's in this body to heal Naruto and breathe life back into his body, then you would no longer be connected to him," Itachi said, hoping to plant a seed in the Kyuubi's mind in case the fox hadn't already been thinking of such things. If that was the case, there was still a chance that Naruto could be saved by the Kyuubi one last time.

Snorting, the fox sat back on his haunches and gazed down at them both. "And what makes you think that I would let my host die on me?" He asked, voice filled with pride and slight arrogance. "I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune and I take care of those who recognize me; even though history depicts me as a ruthless and violent demon."

Itachi felt a smile cross his face at the words and he watched as the fox lowered himself back down to the ground, his gaze focused on Naruto. Slitted eyes glanced at Naruto before the Kyuubi's eyes closed before red chakra bubbled around his body, slowly separating from the fox's body and creating a steady stream of chakra that flowed into Naruto's body.

At first, it looked as though nothing was happening, but as the minutes passed, Itachi could feel Naruto's body growing warmed and as he continued to watch the younger male, Itachi could see the wound slowly knitting itself back together. Before him, the Kyuubi was slowly growing smaller as his energy was passed to Naruto; forcing the chakra into the once lifeless body.

As it was with Madara, the more the man used the Kyuubi's chakra and energy, the quicker it left his body and joined the rest of the chakra where the biju were residing. Now that same process was being used to save Naruto's life and at the same time, fully sever the bond between human and biju so that Kyuubi could finally return home with the rest of the tailed beasts. The only concern Itachi had now was that the Kyuubi would have enough chakra to reverse the damage that had been done; seeing as Naruto's body was badly damaged and would need more attention than usual.

Not only that, but Naruto had also borrowed the Kyuubi's energy during the fight, using it to create the large attacks that had helped bring Madara to his knees before the Kyuubi took over and finished the man off himself. They had both used a large amount of chakra then, and Itachi could only hope that that wouldn't backfire on them when they needed Kyuubi's chakra now more than ever.

However, Naruto's cheeks were already flushed with life and Itachi could see his chest moving up and down while Naruto's heart beat strongly under Itachi's hand. A quick glance at Kyuubi showed that the fox had shrunken to the size of a small dog but he wasn't stopping until the last bit of his energy had been passed off. And even if that were to come, Itachi felt confident that Naruto was well past the danger of dying or so Itachi had hoped. It was hard to say what could happen in the future and as the Kyuubi continued to shrink in size, Itachi could only hope that it would be enough to let Naruto pull through on his own. Naruto had fought against many odds before and had come out on top, even when no one believed it was possible.

"I'll return home after this," Kyuubi spoke up, now the size of a normal fox. "I've done what I can and now the rest is up to Naruto's will to live. But as soon as I pass the rest of this energy to him, I'll vanish from his body and he'll be left with just one presence in his body; his own, as it should've been had I not attached myself to him when we first split. Now he can live life as he was meant to and I will be allowed to see the rest of tailed beasts who wait for me."

Itachi nodded carefully, understanding the words. "You will be missed, Kyuubi no Kitsune," he spoke solemnly. "By both Naruto and myself, and we shall never forget what you did for us. And I thank you for saving his life once more."

Kyuubi smirked. "I might have grown a little fond of the brat," he stated and closed his eyes once more. "I will miss him but I am glad to finally return home."

The chakra flow started to slow and fade a little as the Kyuubi continued to shrink before Itachi's eyes until at last; the fox vanished from sight, leaving Itachi alone with Naruto on the battlefield. It wasn't until the last of Kyuubi's energy ceased to exist around them that Itachi stood up and slowly staggered back to his place, his body feeling drained and weak but it was still able to make the trip home.

After that, Itachi had focused on cleaning their wounds before placing Naruto in bed in hopes that he would wake up soon and then fell asleep himself. The rest of the days had passed by in a haze until Naruto woke, easing Itachi's fears until he felt as though he could breathe easier until at last they were past the critical part in Naruto's healing process.

"I knew that stupid fur ball cared for me," Naruto said with a small laugh, pulling Itachi from his thoughts. "He was just too proud to admit it to my face and had to wait until I was dying for the last time to say the words. Silly animal." There was a hint of sadness to the words, but it was mixed together with the happiness that Kyuubi was finally able to move on and Itachi was sure that a small part of Naruto felt as though he was responsible for keeping the last piece of Kyuubi from returning to its proper place.

"It's all in the past now," Itachi said carefully and leaned down to press a soft kiss to Naruto's lips. "You've been given a second chance at life now and I feel as though we shouldn't waste it by dwelling in the past where things can't be changed, but instead look to the future where there's a chance at happier times."

Naruto laced his fingers through Itachi's hair, rubbing at the man's scalp lightly. "You always had such a way with words," he murmured and pulled Itachi back down for a kiss, moaning softly as their mouths opened and tongues brushed against each other. It was a soft tender kiss that spoke volumes on how thrilled they were to be alive and back in each other's arms once more.

When they pulled back, Itachi gazed down at Naruto, smirking at the swollen lips. "Then don't be upset with my next words. But your body is still too weak to handle the activities that you lust after. Perhaps in another week we can try and enjoy such pleasures without fear of harming your body in the process."

A small pout settled on Naruto's face at the words, even though he knew that they were nothing but the truth. While Naruto felt as though he could handle a round of sex with Itachi, his body protested the thoughts, reminding him that it still hurt to move around too much and that he wouldn't appreciate Itachi taking him hard from behind.

"Fine, but I expect to find pleasure the moment my body can handle such things," Naruto stated, his lips curling into a smirk. "And I will make sure that you receive pleasure as well."

Itachi felt his lips pull into a small smirk, mirroring Naruto's actions. "I look forward to that day then," he answered and lowered his head once more for a harsh kiss.

* * *

A weak and a half later, Itachi found himself pressed up against the wall as hungry lips sucked on the side of his neck before teeth found purchase on his skin, nipping and biting until a large bruise had form there. His hands pulled Naruto closer, wanting to feel the press of a warm body against his, especially after the most recent news that they had been given only a few days prior.

Despite everything that they had gone through, Naruto would have to return back home in a few days as he was almost fully healed. Seeing as he still had a life back on earth, he couldn't just vanish without causing his family and friends to panic and while Naruto had protested that it was unfair, there had always been an underlying understanding that Naruto wouldn't have been able to stay the whole time.

Naruto still had a life to live on earth, but once that life finished and he passed on, there was nothing holding him back from rejoining Itachi one more. But until then, this one moment of pleasure would have to last a lifetime until Naruto was once again by Itachi's side, as Naruto refused to take another lover back on earth. No one would replace Itachi.

"Bedroom," Itachi grunted as Naruto's hands started to dip below the waistband of his pants. The bed would be softer than the floor for Naruto and Itachi didn't want to risk injuring the wounds, even though they were healed now.

They stumbled through the hallway, their lips pressed against each other and making it hard to see where they were going, but they somehow managed to find their way to the bed after crashing into the walls a few times. Itachi could feel Naruto's lips smirking against his as he tried to hold back his laughter at their attempts to stay connected while walking and Itachi couldn't help but return the smile.

He pushed the younger male onto the bed before removing his own shirt and then climbing onto the bed to hover over Naruto. "Someone is anxious," he purred and reached down to cup the hard bulge in Naruto's pants. "What should I do first, hard and fast, or slow and easy?" He murmured next to Naruto's ear, nipping it lightly.

"Fast," Naruto gasped and bucked his hips up. "Then slow. I'm not letting you go for the rest of the day."

"Good," Itachi answered and attacked Naruto's neck, leaving a large mark on the tan skin. He was going to mark every part of Naruto's body so the younger male would always have something to remember him by. "I'll make you remember this night until the day you pass and you're back in my arms," Itachi grunted as he started to pull Naruto's shirt off.

Blue eyes darkened at the words and Naruto reached up to pull Itachi's hair out of his ponytail. "I accept your challenge," he stated, his eyes filled with lust. "And I'll make sure to return the favor before I leave as well."

Itachi smirked and eased Naruto's pants off his legs, tossing them to the side to land near the shirts that had been discarded earlier. He gazed down at the hard cock that was standing at attention and tapped the tip lightly, smearing around the precum that had gathered there. "What should I do with this?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as though he was unsure as to what to do.

"Suck it," Naruto demanded breathlessly. He tried to look demanding but the flushed cheeks ruined the effect and only had Itachi chuckling lowly in the end.

"As you wish," Itachi answered and slowly lowered himself to rest between strong thighs. His eyes locked with Naruto's as he licked at the throbbing length, making a long, wet trail up the hard flesh until he reached the tip. His tongue swirled around the tip, cleaning away the precum and leaving the head clean and shiny in the light of the room.

Dark eyes flickered up to look at Naruto once more before Itachi engulfed the cock without any warning, loving the strangled moan that left Naruto's mouth. Hips jerked and bucked, gagging Itachi briefly before he held the hips down as he started to bob his head, feeling the familiar taste of Naruto's cock against his tongue.

Soft pants and moans left Naruto's mouth and fingers tightened in Itachi's hair as he hollowed his cheeks, swallowing around the cock to provide more pleasure for Naruto. It had been far too long since either had received this sort of pleasure and Itachi committed every sound, sight, and taste to memory; not wanting to miss a thing.

He pulled away from Naruto's cock, giving the tip one last hard suck before releasing it with a small pop and drawing a disappointed moan from the younger male. "Not yet," Itachi murmured and slid back up Naruto's chest to press a soft kiss to Naruto's lips. "I don't want you coming yet until I'm buried deep inside you."

The words made Naruto moan as Itachi moved away from the younger male and walked towards the bathroom to grab a small bottle of lotion. Lube wasn't something he had on hand but he wasn't about to take Naruto dry. Placing the bottle on the bed, he slid his own pants off and kicked them to the side, pleased to have his cock finally free from the tight confinement of his boxers.

"And you called me anxious," Naruto said breathlessly, his eyes light and teasing. He reached for the lotion and spread some over his finger before guiding them down to his entrance. "This will drive you insane," he murmured and pushed two fingers past the tight ring of muscles, tossing his head back at the familiar burn he remembered from past experiences.

Itachi watched as the fingers thrust lightly, Naruto panting in time with each thrust and Itachi could feel his cock throbbing at the sight. He moved to the bed and grabbed the bottle, slicking his own fingers and pressing a single digit against Naruto's wet entrance. He cupped Naruto's hand and pressed his first finger in, stretching the puckered entrance even more and brushing against the swollen prostate.

The younger male shouted as pleasure raced through his body and Itachi smirked as he brushed over it one more time before return his attention back to stretching the tight hole. A fourth and final finger pressed in, helping prepare Naruto for something bigger until the younger male was squirming and panting beneath him.

"'Tachi," Naruto gasped. "Stop teasing me," he pleaded, sweat dripping down his chest as his body trembled with pleasure.

"Of course," Itachi purred and slipped his fingers out of Naruto, using the excess lotion to coat his cock. He hissed as his hand ran over his cock and he had to stop himself from continuing with the pleasurable feelings, knowing that something better was waiting for him. He shifted on the bed until he was hovering over Naruto again and wrapped the blond's legs around his waist, his cock nudging the stretched entrance.

Dark eyes gazed into blue ones, searching for any hesitation. Seeing none, Itachi slowly pushed forward and groaned loudly at the tight heat that wrapped around his cock. He forced himself to move slowly, knowing that Naruto's body wasn't used to such feelings even though the action made his legs tremble from the urge to start thrusting without concern.

He held himself back though, his control hanging on by just a thread as he fully sheathed himself against Naruto and feeling the younger male shiver slightly at the feeling of being stretched. Itachi leaned down and fisted Naruto's cock, which had softened a little during the penetration while capturing Naruto's lips to distract him as best he could from the pain.

Finally, Naruto clenched around him, making Itachi moan into Naruto's mouth. No words were needed and Itachi's hands slipped down Naruto's body to grasp tan hips tightly before pulling starting a rhythm that had them both panting and gasping each other's name. Sweat trickled down Itachi's face as he tried to control himself, not wanting to start out too hard just yet. But Naruto had different ideas and pressed him closer, digging his heels into his back and Itachi gazed into blue eyes that danced with humor and when Naruto spoke, Itachi could hear the taunt in his voice.

"What happened to hard and fast?" Naruto asked and clenched around Itachi once more. "I'm not going to break 'Tachi. Any slower and I'll fall asleep on you."

Itachi paused at the words before shaking his head as his lips smirked slightly. "Very well," he answered and angled Naruto's hips up. "But know that you brought this on yourself."

"I accept the consequences of my actions," Naruto answered before yelling as Itachi snapped his hips forward harshly. "Yes! Like that," he cried and bucked his hips up to meet Itachi's thrusts.

Grunting, Itachi continued to thrust, brushing over Naruto's prostate with each pass as they quickly moved towards completion. It was rough and wild, but Naruto had been right; there was no time right now for sensual loving. There was nothing between them now but the urge to fuck and gain pleasure for each other's bodies until they were sated. And only after that, could they slow down and explore each other with soft touches.

Itachi shifted his grip on Naruto, changing the angle of his thrust so he slipped in further, reaching deeper and making Naruto scream his name. It was arousing to have Naruto lose control in such a way and Itachi watched as the younger males face contorted with pleasure with every pass of Itachi's cock against his prostate.

"Fuck Naruto," Itachi moaned as he felt the younger male tremble under him. They were both growing closer to orgasm; Itachi could feel the heat coiling low in his body, ready to snap and pull him over the edge and Itachi had every intention of taking Naruto with him.

He reached between their bodies and grasped Naruto's cock; feeling it twitch as his fingers wrapped around the throbbing length. Precum leaked from the tip and Itachi smeared it between his fingers as they played with the tip before he started to stroke the cock, using the precum to make each pass move smoother.

Naruto's body clenched around him at the action and it didn't take long before Naruto's back arched as he came, cum coating his chest and Itachi's hand as he continued to buck in the hand holding him. Itachi groaned as Naruto's muscles gripped his cock tighter as he continued to thrust, making it almost painful to move until Naruto went limp against the bed, the powerful orgasm leaving him boneless.

Itachi leaned forward, pressing deeper into Naruto as he claimed Naruto's lips before he followed Naruto as well; hips rolling forward and jerking as he rode out his orgasm. Tongues tangled together as they panted into each other's mouth while Itachi's hips started to slow until they eventually stilled against Naruto.

"That was nice," Naruto murmured when they broke apart. He reached up and ran a hand through Itachi's hair. "But I think next time we can last longer."

For a moment, Itachi just stared at Naruto before chuckling at the words. "We had an excuse that first time. It had been a while." He nipped at the base of Naruto's throat. "But I believe that we can last longer next time as well. Just give me a little bit of time to recover first."

Naruto laughed lightly, the noise making Itachi wrap his arms around the younger male, enjoying the feeling of his body pressed against his. He didn't know how long they had together but for now, they would make this moment last.

* * *

Three days later had Itachi standing with Naruto near the pond in the back of the house, the sun setting behind them. Their time was up and Itachi could already feel the ache growing within his chest at the thought of letting Naruto go for an unknown amount of years. Perhaps the only thing that helped to ease the pain of separation was that Itachi had been granted times to visit Naruto during the year; something Itachi had accepted without complaint.

"You better visit me," Naruto stated, crossing his arms with a small pout. "I won't be happy if you decide not to visit when you can."

Itachi chuckled and pressed a kiss to Naruto's temple. "Just think of this as the times we were on missions, years back. Only seeing each other for a few hours every handful of days."

"I guess," Naruto murmured and leaned forward to capture Itachi's lips. They shared a long kiss before he broke away and trailed down to suck on a patch of pale skin until a fresh mark marred the area. "That's a reminder of what's waiting for you next time, so don't forget it."

Itachi responded with a mark of his own, his lips brushing over the mark once he was done. "I won't. I can wait until I see you each time until you're back in my arms for good this time. A handful of years waiting for you are nothing compared to the hundreds of years I've passed alone."

Naruto grunted and he threaded his fingers through Itachi's. "Don't say that. It should never have happened in the first place and when I come back, I'll make sure that you're never alone again."

"Such pretty words you speak," Itachi teased and glanced at the setting sun over Naruto's shoulder. Once it fully set, the younger male would vanish from his world and go back to earth where he would remain until his death. It was a sad thought, but Itachi didn't want Naruto to miss a life that he was supposed to live.

The top of the sun was only inches from kissing the horizon and Itachi pulled Naruto into his arms. "One last goodbye, even though it's not a final one. There will be many more after this, I promise you that," he murmured.

Naruto nodded. "I'll hold you to that promise," he answered and pulled Itachi down, pressing their lips together as the sun continued to set until the light vanished under the horizon.

There was one last press against Itachi's lips before the only thing that remained was just the ghost of Naruto's touch against his body and Itachi was alone once more. But this time it was something that Itachi could bear, as he knew that Naruto was just within reach and that at least once every month or two, they would be able to see each other again. And that alone helped to keep the loneliness away.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**: Last chapter! It's been a long road with this story and I struggled with it for a while, so it didn't turn out the way I had planned it when I had first started. But I'm still content with everything in the end. Many thanks to everyone who read and stuck with this story even through the months without an update. I thank y'all from the bottom of my heart. Thank you again and without further ado, I give you the last chapter. ^^

**Warnings**: Fluff

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto

* * *

The strings that connected people to each other came in all shapes and colors; some thick and others thin. They created a rainbow of colors that looped around the world and could change easily within the span of a single day, and they always made for an interesting day. But the strings that connected each human to the origin of the strings were all the same color. A light golden color that would grow lighter and thinner as the time of its death grew closer.

Once string in particular held Itachi's attention and he gazed at it intently. Beside him, Itachi could feel Sasuke shifting slightly, anxious for the fragile string to break as well. It had been years since Naruto had last left and in that time, the biju had allowed Sasuke to see him for the first time in countless centuries.

Their first meeting had been awkward, there was no denying that little fact but to some degree, they had both expected that. Their last fight hadn't left them on the same understanding and when it came down to everything; Sasuke had still lusted to kill Itachi in cold blood that day. It was the only thing that had been driving Sasuke forward since Itachi had murdered the clan.

And while Itachi had planned for such a thing to happen, he hadn't expected Sasuke to act in the way he had after that fight. It was disappointing for Itachi and to say that he hadn't wanted to slap his brother across the face when they first met was an understatement. His younger brother had been partially responsible for destroying the world they once lived in as well as leading Naruto to his death.

But it was only the love that Itachi had for Sasuke that kept him from striking his brother. Instead, he had forced himself to calm down and try to remember that Sasuke had been deceived at the time and that the whole blame couldn't be placed on him. Madara had weaved his web around Sasuke, making him believe things until he didn't know what fact from lie was.

Their first meeting had lasted only a few minutes in which they barely spoke more than ten words to each other, choosing instead to look over each other to make sure the other was doing well before silently agreeing that the mounting tension was a little too much to bear at the moment. It had been centuries since they last spoke, and those words had been anger from Sasuke and affection from Itachi. The bridge between them had burnt down years before that fight and was far from being mended now.

They still saw each other at least once a month and on the rare occasion, twice a month when they found that the silence and awkwardness that hung over them wasn't too heavy. They kept their subjects light and never strayed from safe topics such as the weather or meals that had learned to make in the time since they joined their immortal world.

There were times where Sasuke would look as though he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come and they were left in silence again until it was broken by another topic deemed safe to talk about. Neither wanted to breach the safety that came from asking simple and easy questions by mentioning the past, even though it meant that they were barely making any progress on repairing their relationship.

Itachi doubted that it would ever be the same again, even if the bridge was rebuilt, it would be built with old wood and would have holes along the way that made it slightly dangerous and unsteady. But it would never be that same strong bridge that it once was and somehow they both knew and accepted that.

Naruto would more than likely have their heads once he came back and found that they hadn't made any progress, but Itachi figured that they would be more willing to talk about the past when Naruto was around. The younger male was common ground for them and was almost like a security blanket for both of them.

It was rather un-Uchiha like but it was something that neither of them could bother to care about. There was no one here to complain about them acting in a way unbefitting to an Uchiha and if Itachi wanted Naruto next to him when he talked to his brother, then he would have the younger male at his side. And at most, Naruto's presence would make them tolerate each other, as there was no doubt that Naruto want to see them both or hang out with them together at the same time. Naruto didn't know it, but he had both Uchiha's wrapped around his finger; a rather humorous thought if Itachi thought about it. Naruto was truly a unique person.

"How was he the last time you saw him?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence between them. It wasn't awkward this time, as they were joined together under a common topic today, that being Naruto.

Itachi hummed lowly. "He was fine, but that was a few months and didn't know that his time was drawing closer. Even if he is my lover, I couldn't tell him his time of death or how he would die; even if I wanted to." He shook his head and watched as the thread grew thinner and lighter, signaling its impending death. "I just made sure that he fully enjoyed himself that night and I'm certain he knows what's happening now."

There was a saying that history often repeats itself and it seemed that Naruto had been destined to die young once more. He had died young when he had been a ninja and now his current life in this world was supposed to be short as well. Perhaps not as short as his first life, but there had never been a chance for Naruto to live a long and full life.

It would be a car accident that would claim Naruto's life, a piece of steel piercing his body in the same place Madara had once stabbed Naruto with Sasuke's sword. History was just as much a cruel mistress as Fate was but her humor was violent and riddled with cruel humor. The wound that Naruto had received a few days was fatal but he had been rushed to a hospital in hopes of saving him before he died of blood loss.

The doctors had done their best, despite the damage that had been done to Naruto's body and when they had wheeled him out of surgery, gave him a thirty percent at pulling through. The numbers were grim, but then again, so was the damage that had been inflicted due to the accident.

It had pained Itachi to watch the accident, caused by a drunk driver who ran a red light and plowed into the side of Naruto's car at a high speed that had both cars spinning across the road in screaming metal death traps. The driver had been killed on impact, the only consolation in Itachi's opinion, and even though Itachi knew that Naruto's death meant he could finally return to his side, he would never wish that type of death on Naruto. If it meant that Itachi had to wait until Naruto grew old to die peacefully in his sleep, than Itachi would've taken that compared to having Naruto in pain for a few days after the accident as his body struggled to survive despite the injuries.

"He's not feeling anything, Itachi," Sasuke said softly, knowing what was on his mind. It was a thought that was present in both their minds, but Naruto was in a coma so deep that he wasn't aware of anything except the darkness that shrouded his mind. It helped to numb the pain until it was barely there and the only thing Naruto would be feeling was a peaceful floating as death started to creep through his body.

"I know," Itachi answered. "But I still wish he could've died in a more peaceful way than getting into an accident."

At deaths first kiss, the string that Itachi could pick out in a heartbeat had changed from its brilliant gold color to a dull brown color. The lack of life was already fading the first day of the accident and continued to become lackluster as the following days passed. Now it was thin, the size of a strand of hair and would fall apart sooner rather than later.

Heartbeats passed as they continued to watch the thread growing weaker and weaker, knowing that Naruto's body was failing him and that down on earth, the machines that struggled to keep him alive were screaming out warnings while the doctors scrambled to save Naruto's life. It was sad that they wouldn't be able to succeed but it was an unpleasant fact that people died were born every second of the day; there was nothing that could change that fact.

Because at the same time, life was brought into the world right alongside the lives leaving the world. It was beauty of life; birth and death, and everything in between it.

Itachi's breath caught as the string finally broke and fluttered to the ground, vanishing before it touched the soft grass. Down on earth, there would be wails of distress as Naruto's heart flat lined and his body shut down on itself, but that was the situation on earth. Things were different here and Itachi shivered as wind washed over the area, bending the blades of grass before the gust passed and everything stilled once more.

Moments passed before soft footsteps sounded behind Itachi and familiar arms wrapped his body, a warm body pressing against his and hot breath fanning over his ear. Itachi leaned back into the embrace and brought his hands up to grasp the arms that were curled around his torso, giving them a small squeeze.

The arms tightened in response and Itachi felt soft lips press against the nape of his neck. The touch made him shiver and Itachi turned around in the embrace to look down into bright blue eyes that gazed back at him, filled with affection that swam through them. Itachi smiled slightly and leaned down, his lips brushing over soft lips as he spoke.

"Welcome home, Naruto."


End file.
